The Infinite Chase
by lLegendsl
Summary: Kaze'aze is threatening the kingdoms of Serdin and Kanavan with her vast army and immense power. However, both kingdoms are still recovering from the Five Year War, and previous forces sent against her have disappeared. Now, both kingdoms cooperate and form a new group to fight the forces of darkness: the Grand Chase. Based off wiki and game with a little reimagining.
1. Prologue: End of the Five Year War

_A/N: Never before did I think I'd write, but I thought I'd try it out. Turns out it's pretty fun. Any tips and helpful stuff is greatly appreciated; I would like to keep improving my work, and any advice is welcome. I'll write a few more chapters, and if it turns out it doesn't put people to sleep, I'll keep going._

_Disclaimer: I do not own SG Interactive, KoG, GC, or any of that funny stuff. If I did, I would have broken the game ^w^_

_Enjoy~_

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_Prologue: End of the Five Year War_

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_How could I let this happen?_

This single thought swam through her mind as she, Anyu, queen of Kanavan, briskly marched the vast and lavish hallway towards her adviser's residence. It was past midnight, and the brilliant light of the full moon shone down into the windows, casting long streaks of darkness from the pillars in the hall. Anyu clicked her tongue in annoyance as she slowed down once more for the six members of the royal guard to catch up- her lavishly decorated pink satin dress and thin rapier was less of a hindrance to quick movement than their thick navy blue cloth and steel armor and heavy weapons. Normally, such security would be deemed paranoid and unnecessary, but this was a time of war. Every shadow was an enemy, an invisible assassin patiently biding their time for a vulnerable moment, a summoned monster stalking its prey from the cover of night; it was their duty to protect the queen from such threats or give her time to escape.

Anyu was not paying heed to any of that. She was still trying to comprehend what had happened. A short while ago, she was pouring through reports of the war as usual, comprehending figures of casualties, supplies, weapons, and able-bodied men ready to fight. A messenger reported in and dropped upon her desk a mountain of additional documents and pictures, products of imprinting what the kingdom's magicians saw and reported into rolls of paper through magic. She scarcely cared then; after five years of witnessing the bloodshed and carnage left by combat, even by another's eyes, it became more of a tedious chore and less of an emotional trial.

_For the glory of Kanavan_, she reminded herself at the time, accepting these as necessary losses for... what was it again? She had forgotten the reason for this war, but it was highly recommended by her most trusted adviser, Hoff. Whatever he said was good advice, so she took it to heart. Was it not also for the glory of Kanavan? _That is more than enough reason_, she deemed. _More than enough reason_. The queen resumed the never-ending task of finishing paperwork and examining photos.

As her magenta eyes swiftly scanned the scene in a particular picture, a pang of uneasiness struck her. She looked at the picture again. Once more, she was hit by that uneasy feeling. Dismissing it for the time being, she resumed her work. As time passed, she could not shake the feeling off; on the contrary, it gnawed at the back of her mind even more, demanding her full, undivided, and immediate attention.

Surrendering to her curiosity, she pulled the picture out again. Carefully inspecting the bodies that littered the blood-soaked ground, she realized one looked familiar. Anyu now recognized her earlier sense of apprehension; it was the feeling of losing something important, something that could never be replaced. Finding a familiar face was not a novel concept; Anyu had already seen the mangled corpses of acquaintances from previous battles. She had also accepted their losses. It was all for the glory of Kanavan. This one, however, was different. This person was from Serdin, the enemy kingdom.

Beautifully embroidered plate armor, gold trim and ruby decorations, the likes of which only a Serdin noble could have. Long, flowing turquoise hair, carefully tied to avoid obscuring vision in battle, now splayed in all directions, stained in reddish-brown, the helmet once guarding it from mud and blood located a few feet away. Once glimmering eyes the color of clearest sky, filled to the brim with compassion and curiosity, now dull half-orbs of lifelessness. A deathly pallor had replaced previously healthy and pink skin. Blood seeped from the figure's mouth and numerous wounds: a gash in the side, an arrow to the left shoulder, broken shaft still protruding from the injury, various cuts and scrapes, and the deathblow - a giant, roughly diamond-shaped hole in the chest, the results of being impaled by a glaive.

It was Enna, Queen of Serdin. However, it was not the death of the enemy queen that troubled her. It was the death of Enna, the girl she once had fond memories of before the war, the one she befriended on an education exchange trip, the one who she laughed and cried with for years before the kingdoms sealed their borders, the one who she shared her private secrets and troubles with before she cut off all ties with her. She was one of her closest - no...

_My best friend, _Anyu realized in horror. The situation dawning upon her, she screamed, the tormented screech of one who woke from their stupor to realize the sins they have committed. In that instant, everything she had done, every reason Hoff had given, all reassurances to herself that this war _was _necessary, dissipated, overwhelmed by a surge of grief, confusion, and anger. How had she been such a fool for so long? What possibly caused her to embark on this gods-forsaken campaign? Who even suggested it was a remotely decent idea?

Hence her current task: to find and confront her adviser.

As the queen snapped back to reality with a jerk, her guards had just finished reporting, "Your Majesty, Hoff is nowhere within his chambers. It seems likely he is fleeing the kingdom. "

"I see." With a furious huff, Anyu spun around, her wavy golden hair fanning out and following in suit. She started heading back towards the throne room, her guards in tow. She would have to assemble the Kanavan Trackers, she thought, and track down that traitorous man. Something about this seemed off, though. What had caused Hoff to do something of this magnitude? To the best of Anyu's knowledge, Hoff had no quarrel with the kingdom or the citizens within. On the contrary, the aging man dedicated himself to serving the people, doing his best to ensure a fair trial and judgement, and maintaining the life quality of Kanavan.

_I suppose I'll have to question him about this as well before executing him,_ she furiously muttered to herself. The members of the guard glanced at each other with uncertainty and concern. Never before had they seen their queen so agitated and furious, and no one was willing to ask for what reason, for fear of risking her wrath. Not soon enough for both Anyu and her guards, the throne room's giant doors came into view. Hurriedly, the guards opened the doors for the queen to enter. Instead of entering, though, she simply stood there, gaping with wide eyes at something in the torchlit chamber.

There, standing in the middle of the room, casually admiring the throne, donning a robe of jet black, hands behind his back, stood a middle-aged, average built, balding man. The lights from the torches danced upon his head as he continued to stare in the opposite direction. He paid no heed to the opening gate. In fact, it was as if he did not acknowledge their entrance in the first place. Slowly, he began to turn until his face was in view, revealing flinty eyes, a deep scowl, and a curly beard that was a couple of inches long. The man and Anyu glared at each other for a few seconds, neither speaking nor breaking eye contact.

"Hoff," Anyu finally seethed. Hoff merely sneered and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. I did not expect the Queen of Serdin to so willingly to risk her life. I certainly did not think that you were to break my possession spell just because you saw her dead with the other trash."

"Silence, traitor!" screamed Anyu. "They were our people, our friends, our comrades! You used to side with the people and demand justice at all times, one of your most defining traits! What changed, Hoff?!"

"It was all for the glory of Kanavan," Hoff calmly replied, as if he was explaining some difficult, yet obvious concept to a mere child. "I...could not stand how complacent and lazy the people of both kingdoms had become. The nobles were so becoming so fat and greedy, I thought a war would be able to trim some of the scum off our nobility as well. Besides, how else does one gain glory than through constant warfare? I was helping our kingdom live up to its motto."

"And for that reason, you have bewitched me into starting these five years of hell?!"

"Bewitched you? I simply gave you the suggestion that a war with Serdin was necessary. I am not the law. I simply give advice. You heeded it and forged this war with your own hands. Your orders were the cause of Enna's death. How am I to blame?"

Anyu flipped her hair back before replying, "Do not try to use sweet words to coat your excuses, Hoff! We are both well aware that you used magic to coerce me into this. And with such an excuse too..." Her face wrinkled into one of disgust for a moment before continuing. "What is the real reason you started this war?"

At this question, Hoff suddenly lost the calm facade he maintained. His eyes flashed dangerously with unrestrained rage, his unconcerned smile contorted into a snarl, and Anyu swore she saw veins start bulging from his temples.

"To show you that humanity is WEAK." He rasped.

That single statement shocked Anyu almost more than anything so far. It was not because of the reason; it was how he emphasized that last word with such spite and contempt. "...What?"

"Humanity is so easy to deceive. A single word from someone they trust, and they all are willing to march to their deaths. Hatred and prejudice fester in your minds, deeming anything not human a threat to your race and an excuse to eliminate it! A cancer to the world, taking everything for your own and leaving nothing behind! One for one, you are all cowards, only capable of doing anything by being dead weight to those who are remotely skilled! And the way you humans turn on each other so easily MAKES ME SICK!"

Hoff's voice had slowly risen from a hoarse whisper to shouting at the top of his lungs during his monologue. Never once did he pause to breathe. By the end, he was literally spitting the words out, red eyes twitching and glowing with a raging inferno. Anyu observed Hoff's continuing oration in slight astonishment. Never had Hoff lost his temper like this. Never had Hoff been so enraged at the flaws of humans, or denounce them as if he were _not _a human.

And Hoff certainly did not have glowing, red eyes.

"You," Anyu whispered after the man finished his rant, clutching his knees, out of breath, "You are not Hoff. Who...no...what are you?"

When the false adviser finished recovering and lifted his head to look back at his audience, an almost inhuman smile graced his face. When he next spoke, it was a woman's voice, soothing and soft as silk, words as sweet as honey, but with untold malice concealed within.

"Well, it seems I have been found out."

With those words, a gust of wind blew in through the open doors. The wind quickly escalated into a swirling maelström indoors, scattering furniture like twigs in a storm and extinguishing the flames on the wall. Anyu and her guards were quickly thrown to the ground, battered and disoriented. The whirlwind wrapped around the fake Hoff, who was grinning as the howling wind caused flakes of ash to fall from him, revealing a woman of long, wavy violet-blue hair that reached her waist, eyes of ruby dipped in blood, and skin white as frost. She wore a dress the color of amethyst, trimmed with gold, scarlet, and black. Earrings of cyan crystal, a twisted, torn cloak of black and red, and gloves with golden claw tips further accentuated the look of evil. Finally, from a portal summoned to the right of the mystery woman, a staff of ebony, impaled the ground, thrumming with ancient, dark, and forgotten power.

"Indeed, I am not your adviser. I..._liberated_ him from the confines of this world. As for who I am, I am Ka..." The witch stopped herself, then mockingly pondered how to properly introduce herself.

"Ah yes, this sounds better," she mused. "I am the demon that feeds off of humanity's hatred. I am the commander of the Dark Army, ready to send this continent into eternal strife. I am the Queen of Darkness." The Queen of Darkness then graciously bowed while Anyu and her troupe unsteadily climbed back to their feet.

"My name is Kaze'aze. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Now then, I believe I will be taking my leave. I have overstayed my welcome." With an innocent smile, Kaze'aze lightly brushed her robes of any imaginary dust with the back of her hand. She then reached for her staff, still attached firmly to the ground, and began delicately examining the elegant carving of the winged dragon on its tip, forever guarding the pulsating, purple orb clutched in its claws. "However, you," she nodded at Anyu, "seem to have something to say to me."

By now, the queen and her guard had recovered from the earlier indoor storm that the witch had wrought. With balled fists and shaking with anger, Anyu responded through gritted teeth, "Do not think that you will simply walk away after what you have done. Guards! Execute this witch at once! She has done untold damage to both our fair kingdom and Serdin! We cannot have her escape!" With that, Anyu brought out her rapier and pointed it at an amused Kaze'aze. She yelled, "with me!" and ran to face her foe.

Inspired and with renewed determination, the six guard members hoisted their weapons in a battle cry and charged the lone witch alongside their queen. Each soldier was a master of their respective weapons, having trained with them since they were ten, and most of them were also adept at various forms of magic. Each one had earned medals and honors, commending their bravery, leadership, and fierce loyalty to their queen. With them, Anyu felt safe and was confident that with an amount of effort, they could restrain and kill the Queen of Darkness.

With a yawn and a dismissive flick of her wrist, Kaze'aze flung a magical ring at the group, abruptly stopping them in their tracks. As they fought against the arcane bonds, the guards who attempted to use magic found that no words of power would escape their throat, thoughts of casting became muddled and confused, and they were unable to draw on their mana, the energy source of all their magic.

As she watched the members of Kanavan silently struggle, Kaze'aze snickered, "You have probably noticed that you cannot use magic while ensnared in that spell. Leave it to Serdin, the Kingdom of Magic, to invent such marvelous ways to restrain people." She quickly started mumbling another spell, the words inaudible even in the silence. With a grand, horizontal sweep of the ebony staff, five of the six guards yelled in surprise and fear as slowly but steadily, their clothes and body stiffened and hardened into stone, their heads petrified last.

Once the spell finished, Kaze'aze strode towards her pieces of work, ignoring the expressions of horror on the queen and guard. She began appraising her statues' quality. The spell had preserved every intricate detail, down to the slightest wrinkle of cloth, a scar on skin, a dent in armor. "So beautiful... too bad about the face, though. I wish they did not look like snakes attacked them," she observed, all the while slowly developing a grin of malicious intent. "I suppose I will have to dispose of them."

Shoving her staff once more into the floor, she reached for the nearest statue's head, tilting the petrified guard as she whispered in his ear, "Farewell." Suddenly and with a laughter of insanity, the Queen of Darkness slammed the statue on the royal floor with all her might. With a resounding _crack_, what was once a man shattered into a shower of chunks of stone, fragments of rock, and fine dust. Anything deemed too large was then blasted by bolts of magic until it was a more appealing size. While the dust settled on the damaged floor and carpets, and Anyu and the remaining guard silently gaped at the remains of their comrade, Kaze'aze continued to cackle to the sky, as if challenging the gods to intervene and save her victims from such a demise.

She then repeated the same brutal process to the other four sculptures while giggling dementedly.

Anyu watched on in horror as her guards shattered, one by one, to the mad queen. Mixed emotions of anger, fear, and revulsion threatened to upset her stomach, but she forced the feelings down as she attempted to calmly think of a way out. The spell was still holding strong, and an inquisitive look at her last guard answered her other question: he still could not use magic to free them. Bowing her head in defeat, she resigned herself to being Kaze'aze's prisoner a little longer. _How did I attract such a powerful magician? And a mad one at that._ The more she pondered the situation, the more confusing it became. Serdin would have been a far greater choice if she wanted to learn forbidden magic, and it seemed she already had extensive knowledge on their spell collection. With her power, she could easily have overwhelmed the Kanavan royalty and seized power on her own already. Was her reason really simply to send humanity into despair? _She must have a motive..._

"What caused you to do this?" Anyu croaked, surprising herself with the loudness of her voice. No response.

She pressed on. "You must have a reason to waste so much energy simply to cause mayhem." Silence.

When Anyu looked up from the prolonged quiet, she saw Kaze'aze staring at her seriously, her demented mirth having faded. When the woman next spoke, all previous triumph and smug confidence disappeared, replaced with a serious and jaded voice full of malevolence.

"Revenge on Kanavan."

Anyu shook her head, not comprehending. "Revenge for what?"

Kaze'aze started pacing around the two. "I was once human."

"You... were human?" Anyu asked in astonishment.

"Shocking, I know," the witch snickered. "Once, I was like you. I had dreams. I had goals and aspirations. I had friends. However, all that changed when I protected what I held dear. I, cursed to becoming a demon by a _human,_ lost everything that I worked for. I had witnesses about what transpired, and even they betrayed me to prejudice. Those who I thought were my friends abandoned me, exiled me. I will not forget, and I will not forgive. I, created by humans and forged by your hatred and xenophobia, will be your end."

Suddenly, the demoness reached for the bound guard's sword. With a practiced motion, as if she were an expert swordsman as well as a master mage, she thrust the blade into the last guard's heart. With a spray of blood and scream of immense pain, the guard violently shook against his ethereal chains. He then ceased moving, still standing from the binding, blood pouring from the wound. It was only then that, with a snap of her fingers, was the spell allowed to break, letting the corpse slide to the ground, a dark puddle growing beneath it.

Anyu was also released, but she too collapsed to the ground, too shocked with the recent death she had just witnessed to run. As she looked up to the heavens for guidance, she saw only the Queen of Darkness, shrouded in night, sprayed in blood, gleaming red eyes and white teeth in a demented half-smile, dripping sword held high for its last kill. _So this is how it ends. _She thought. _I will see you soon, Enna. Please forgive me for everything; deceived I may have been, but it was still my command that killed you, and I ask for your forgiveness. And Karina...I hope to see you too, whether you're with Enna or still in this world. Forgive me for not being there when you needed me. I believed and still believe you._ She closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of cold steel.

It did not come.

She maintained her posture, steeling her nerves to not break down or beg for her life. After all, none of her guard did, so how could she, figurehead of the kingdom? She kept still, refusing to give the mad witch the pleasure of seeing her cringing.

The blade still did not fall.

Anyu heard the clatter of steel, Kaze'aze having thrown the sword toward her right. It slid, drawing lazy arcs of blood across the white marble floor, ending abruptly when the hilt met the wall.

"I have wasted too much time. Your guards...they are approaching," Kaze'aze mumbled. Without delay, she strode over the shattered rocks, past the shocked queen.

Anyu wailed. "You are...just going to let me live? After these men died to protect me? You would dare waste their sacrifice?!"

Kaze'aze stopped and turned her head to meet her fellow queen's eyes. "Yes. Not because of any mercy for you or disrespect to them, but so you will live with the knowledge that your existence has caused the death of many. With this, there will be no glory left in Kanavan, Serdin, or any small town in between, only despair." As she spoke, a portal of black opened in front of her. Anyu could see faint traces of form: moving figures, a tower, and in the distance, two massive spires jutting out of the forsaken earth, purple-black and of alien proportions.

"Farewell, Anyu, Queen of Kanavan. May you always have peace of mind. May your swords be forever sharp. And may you bring glory to Kanavan." Contemptuously reciting the kingdom's blessing, she broke into a peal of cruel laughter. The Queen of Darkness bowed, sharply turned on her heel, and sauntered into the portal, which promptly vanished, leaving nothing behind.

All was silent.

Shortly after the disappearence of the portal, the captain of the royal guard, along with reinforcements just arriving from the front line, rounded the corner panting, and caught glimpse of the throne room. They did not expect to find destroyed furniture, shattered statues, a dead man, and the queen, sprawled on the ground, staring at space, as if it possessed an unknown threat.

"Ronan." The queen's voice was soft and sounded so fragile, it would break in the slightest wind.

"Y-yes, Your Majesty!" The captain replied with a start.

"Send an emissary to Serdin announcing a ceasefire and asking for their coöperation. Tell them I will personally meet with them to negotiate a peace. Also, assemble the Kanavan Trackers, but tell them to meet with me first thing in the morning. I will give them their assignment myself."

"As you wish, Your Majesty, but shouldn't we prot-"

"No. I wish for solitude. The threat has abated, so send your troops to assemble the Trackers. I will be fine."

"...as you wish, Your Majesty." Reluctantly, Ronan sent his troops to carry out their orders, then with a second glance behind his shoulder, went to carry out his.

Once more, all was silent.

When everyone had left, Anyu reached to her side pocket and rummaged out a small hand mirror. The image the mirror brought to her was almost unrecognizable. Her beautifully kept hair was now a tangled, blond bird's nest. Her pink dress, a product of one of Kanavan's finest tailors, now ripped and torn, reduced to a gown of rags. And her eyes... once serious, yet kind sparkling magenta eyes full of determination, had become tired, dull pink spheres of grief and sorrow. _So much has happened, and it's all my fault. How could I let this come to pass? So many dead, and so many more injured. How can I face the people of Kanavan again?_ The distressed queen wallowed in dismal introspection for seconds, then minutes, then hours.

_No..._

Anyu would not let this break her. She would not let despair consume her spirit; doing so would be to disrespect the deaths of Enna and the others that fell. She had to keep going, to make right what went terribly wrong, to remember her mistakes and make sure she never made them again. The dead deserved that much, at least. She shakily got off the ground and gazed once more upward, past the ceiling and into the heavens, a rekindled fire of determination in her heart. _This will forever wear down upon my heart, _she thought, _but I will simply gain the strength to shoulder this burden. Kaze'aze is right, in a way. There _is _no glory in Kanavan, not anymore. That is not to say there will never be glory here ever again, however. We can rebuild. We can persevere. We will overcome._

As the Queen of Kanavan reached a balcony, she noticed the first rays of light above the scarred and battered plains. A bittersweet smile slowly made its way on her face as she stared at the sunrise. It was a new day, a new start. She swore to bring honor back to her fair kingdom, and to bring the Dark Queen Kaze'aze down to her knees.

_For a lasting peace! For the end of hatred! For the glory of Kanavan!_

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**_Hope you liked it so far!_**

**Please R&R~**


	2. Chapter 1: The First Impossible Test

_Disclaimer: I do not own GC, KoG, SG Interactive, yadda yadda._

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Chapter 1: The First Impossible Test

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In a start, Arme Glenstid almost jumped off her soft bed with shock and dismay. She completely forgot! Today was the day to test and join the Grand Chase, the mighty guild sponsored by both the Queen of Serdin and the Queen of Kanavan, and she almost overslept it. _Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up all night working on that Black spell, _Arme mentally grumbled as she took a quick shower and got dressed. When she emerged from her room, she was wearing a violet blouse and skirt. Purple gloves, shoes with gold decorations, and white stockings completed her outfit, the general outfit of a female Violet Mage guild member.

Arme decided to poke around and see what the other guild members were doing. She was going to be late, so why not look around first? As she descended the spiral staircase, she took note of all the new members practicing White or Black magic. Those practicing White magic were attempting to heal small injured animals, and those manipulating Black magic were willing fireballs under the careful supervision of an expert. It was with no small amount of pride when Arme saw that a majority of those practicing were her age or older, and she had pretty much mastered both subjects with ease years ago.

As she continued to walk down, a few alchemist apprentices rushed pass her, late for their master's lessons. With a bright smile, Arme greeted the alchemists, and they responded in kind. Curious as to what they were learning, Arme poked her head just as an explosion rang through the alchemist lab. She had yet to learn alchemy as it was more advanced that normal magic, and it was considered a shady art at best. Nearly every alchemist in the Five Year War had resigned from the practice, with so much blood indirectly in their hands, and more directly in the weaponry they created. The alchemists here, though, were merely trying to mix ingredients to make potions of healing and amplitude when a brash apprentice slipped an extra crystal into the mix, causing the mixture to grow unstable.

Soon finished inspecting all the guild activities, Arme just opened the door to outside when she heard a voice behind her say, "Just leaving? I assumed you were gone minutes ago." She turned around to see an old man with white hair and beard in white robes and purple cloak. He clutched a wooden staff with a giant blue-green gem on its tip, and was looking at Arme with a surprised look.

"Grandpa!" Arme ran to the old mage's outstretched arms and embraced him. The man she was hugging and being hugged by with such affection was her adoptive grandfather and the guild master, the Grand Mage. The greatest mage in Serdin and adviser to the former Queen of Serdin, the bearded man was also her teacher in the more advanced techniques of magic.

The Grand Mage chuckled, his face wrinkling as it creased into a smile backed by warm eyes. "You were going to leave without saying good-bye to your old grandpa? I hope you also said farewells to your friends here at the guild."

"I couldn't find you anywhere, Grandpa," Arme pouted. "Besides, I don't even know if I'll make it into the guild. I heard that only the best of the best are accepted and that the entrance tests are hell on Aernas."

The old man knelt so he could look Arme at her eye level. "Arme," he whispered gently, "When you think you are abandoned by the world of magic, just look around you quietly. Your will and creativity shall awaken the people around you, and everything in the world will lend you its strength. Besides, I have absolute faith that you will pass the tests with little to no trouble. Your potential is so great, and you have already learned so much. You should have no trouble making friends in the Chase either. You're such a cheerful, friendly girl, it would take the hardest man or woman to not like you."

Slightly embarrassed by these compliments, Arme puffed her cheeks and yelled, "Don't do that! It'll be humiliating if I don't make it now that you said all that nice stuff~"

The old mage laughed,"Well, I've kept you here long enough. Don't you have to go now?"

"Ack! I'm totally late now!" In a mad dash out the door, Arme said farewell, took one last look back at the Violet Mage guild building, and sprinted towards the Serdin Castle. In the back of her frantic mind, she was glad to be in such a famous and warm guild.

* * *

As Arme inspected the town beneath the castle, she was glad to find almost all damage dealt in the Five Year War had been repaired. Since the Outer Walls were the first to be rebuilt, damages to the village were fixed last, but the only traces of damage were the occasional destroyed house or massive crater in the walkway. _It's been two years, _Arme grimly thought. It surprised her how five years of carnage between once friendly kingdoms were caused by one witch, and how no one realized it until it was almost too late. Now, two years later, cooperation between the two kingdoms was at an all-time high, as if the war was only a nightmare. They had worked together in rebuilding, and recently, the Serdin and Kanavan general military had joined to form the Bermesian Army.

No attacks were made against Kaze'aze since the deployment and disappearance of the Kanavan Trackers. It became obvious that an elite team was needed to fight her, so the two queens of Bermesiah made the Grand Chase, a guild dedicated solely to the defeat of the Queen of Darkness. It was this guild that Arme desired to join, both for its cause and her personal reasons.

Now, however, she was not too sure.

Upon reaching the castle, she noticed she was the last of a small line of people waiting to be tested. Those waiting in line were of all ages, both male and female. This would have been fine if there wasn't a massive field hospital in the castle courtyard that was packed with wounded soldiers. The groans and screams of injured men, along with their bitter complaints, could be heard even from the castle gate.

"Man, you saw how they tested us! I swear it's impossible!"

"I know. How are we supposed to fight something that durable and powerful? The small fry were small fry, but the test monster was just insane. That's just the first test too!"

"Makes me almost pity those who managed to get in the guild. I swear, they're asking for monsters and magicians. No way that we simple swordsmen could make it into such a high expectation guild..."

_At least I'm a magician, _Arme nervously thought as she saw two medics bring out a man with a broken leg on a stretcher, babbling and crying "NO MORE!" repeatedly at the top of his lungs. She took note that she was not the only one affected, as she noticed a redhead quite ahead of her tense up. From fear or annoyance, she was not sure, but she was certainly worried about this test. Was it really that difficult? Should she have prepared a bit more? Such thoughts danced in her frantic mind until she found herself in front of the entrance desk.

The woman sitting in front of her held an air of dignity and pride. She wore steel armor embellished with red and gold decorations. Her blond hair was flowing out of the equally decorated helmet resting upon her head. Critical red eyes examined Arme with a frightening intensity while her left hand was rested upon her rapier. When she spoke, it came with a commanding tone, similar to how a superior officer addresses their subordinates.

"You are?"

"Arme Glenstid, uh... ma'am! I'm here for-"

"Call me the Knight Master. I'm well aware what you're here for. You don't need to tell one of the founders of the Chase what you're here for when this is specifically a test to join the Chase." The woman handed a slip of paper to Arme. "Fill this form, return it to me, then proceed towards the portal." She gave directions to the portal and shooed Arme away.

_Such a scary countenance, _Arme thought as she did as she was told. Before she walked away, she heard the Knight Master call, "Arme Glenstid!"

She jumped, voice quavering and ready for another scolding, squeaked, "Y-yes!"

Arme turned around and found the Knight Master faintly smiling at her. The older woman nodded slightly and said, "Good luck."

_Maybe she isn't as scary as I thought,_ Arme thought as she continued walking to the portal's location. With a giggle of excitement and fear of what is to come, she stepped into the portal.

* * *

The first thing Arme noticed was that she had landed in a forest. The second thing she noticed was how there was a bat-like familiar floating near her. From it, she heard the Knight Master as she started explaining the test. "Alright, this is the first testing ground, Chaser! Your mission is to bring back an apple."

Did she hear that right? "...What?"

"Are you hard of hearing? Bring back an apple."

"No, I heard you, but... that's it? Just bring back an apple? This is a forest! There's bound to be apple trees everywhere!"

The Knight Master chuckled lightly before responding. "You are not the only one to think that. Let me assure you that the apple trees here are... special. When you have completed your task or have given up, touch the eye of the familiar. It is there for us to observe your test and to pull you out of danger, however unlikely it is. Good luck, may your magic strike true, and may you bring tranquility to Serdin." On that cryptic note, the familiar went silent.

Suddenly, Arme heard a rustling in a nearby bush. Letting out a surprised yelp, she turned to face the sound, staff clutched and fireball ready. From the bush, a creature emerged. Its large eyes glittered with hatred as it stared at the nervous magician. Its hands swayed back in forth as its tiny legs carried it forward. With its chitin armor and claws, the mushmon slowly waddled towards the now gawking Arme, preparing itself for its mighty headbutt.

"It...it's so..."

Satisfied that it had left its victim speechless, the mushmon jumped forward, attempting to smash into the mage's abdomen and crumple her. However, the mushmon failed to properly guage the distance, instead awkwardly falling onto its face a couple inches from Arme's feet.

"IT'S SOOOOO CUTE~!"

* * *

"What...is the meaning...of THIS?!" The Knight Master slammed her palm onto the observation table, clearly irked that this mushroom was one of the monsters sent to test the mage candidate. Her subordinates suddenly took an interest in everything but her, staring at their feet, the walls, or the image of Arme squeezing the mushmon so hard in childish glee that she... broke it. "We send mushmon to train children! Five year old children! What happened to the goblins or slimes we were supposed to have?"

A nervous subordinate tried to placate her anger and explain their reasoning. "M-m-ma'am, the slimes are s-still in the forest. A-also, with the complaints of how the t-t-test was... impossible... we replaced the goblins with mushmon. The main test monster is still there, but-"

"Replace the mushmon with goblins next time, or I'll see to it you all have your pay halved. Understood?!"

"Y-yes, ma'am. On the note of goblins, something disturbing has come up." The Knight Master gestured the man to continue. "The goblins that resided in Trial Forest have vanished. The ones outside of the walls of Serdin are also getting increasingly aggressive. It's no longer unusual for even farmers to have guards protecting them and their lands."

"Hrmm...it seems Kaze'aze's influence over the monsters is spreading faster."

"That, or they're planning on an invasion of some sorts."

The Knight Master casually brushed off that thought with a wave of her hand. "Goblins lack the firepower to break through our walls. They could seige us for months and our magicians could help us with food and clearing them out. However, that is still a valid threat." She turned to a figure in the corner, hidden in the shadows. "Although I find it hard to believe you're still alive... will you assist us just in case?"

The figure smirked and leaned against the wall. "Don't you worry about it. I'll take care of the pests on the opposite side 'til the Chase arrives. You just stay focused on your area. I gotta leave soon, regardless, so I hope this 'invasion' happens sooner than later."

"Will you be fine by yourself? I would hate to find you dead because you couldn't live up to what you claim to be."

"Like I said, don't worry about it. You're dealing with a legend here."

* * *

After the little incident with the mushmon, Arme was disappointed that the rest of them stayed away from her. In fact, if they so much as caught a glimpse of her violet hair, they fled the vicinity like a man being chased by orcs. _All I did was hug it, _Arme pouted. _How was I supposed to know they would be so fragile? _At least the slimes were putting up a valiant fight. Although ashamed to admit it, one of them caught her by surprise and managed to land a clean tackle on her. She did not expect to get flying back a couple feet and have the wind knocked out of her lungs. She had then returned the favor by setting the animated gelatin ablaze with a well-aimed fireball. The rest were easily discovered and beaten by a magic circle or a few good whacks from her staff. However, she still had no luck in finding this special apple tree, and she was almost at the end of the clearing. If it was not here, then she would have to backtrack.

It came with relief and joy when Arme reached the clearing. There, in the center of the clearing, was a massive tree among trunks with apples hanging on its branches. _Finally! That wasn't so bad after all. Now to grab that stupid apple and I'll be in the Chase. _Arme walked towards the tree and began climbing it. Right when she was about to pluck the largest one in her reach, the tree swayed and she fell off.

"Ow!" Arme exclaimed as she landed on her bottom. She brushed her skirt and proceeded to give the tree a piece of her mind, kicking it and smacking it with her staff. "Stupid tree! Give me my apple!" Had she been more attentive, she might have realized that such a wide tree could not sway that far, or that the tree was slowly rising out of the ground, or that a nearby trunk was flying at her. Arme narrowly dodged the tree trunk in time, surprised and noticing how all the tree trunks seemed to be connected. The tree monster turned, revealing a face of bark and arms and legs made of stumps.

_A treant!_ Arme had never seen one in real life before, and it was just her luck to have infuriated it by hitting it. The treant grabbed a boulder and chucked it at Arme. Luckily, the treant was slow, and Arme had more than enough time to teleport out of the boulder's path. She launched three fireballs at the tree, which did little more than to infuriate it more. It charged, arms outstretched to grab the magician. She simply teleported behind it and, during the treant's confusion, threw three spears of lightning at it with little effect. _It doesn't seem to take a lot of damage from low-tier spells, and I don't know any mid-tier fire ones. At least it's so slow, I can just teleport around it. _Just then, the treant howled and plunged its arms into the ground. Vines erupted beneath Arme's feet and entangled her, stopping all movement. By the time she managed to struggle out of their grasp, the treant had had more than enough time to ready a swing at her.

The resulting blow felt like someone had thrown the Violet Mage guildquarters at her. Arme flew back a dozen feet, colliding with a nonanimated tree. She coughed and gasped for air, the wind having been knocked out of her. She was certain that attack had broken a rib or two as well. Shakily, she got back to her feet, trembling from the effort. _I'll have to try that new spell I was working on yesterday night, _she thought. Arme stood still for as long as she could, gathering as much mana as possible before the treant next attacked. Just before the next swing collided with her head, she teleported behind the treant once more. Flying into the air to avoid being grasped by vines again, she began to chant.

"Roar, conflagration, and send this soul to its ashen end!" The tip of her staff began to glow as an immense fireball started to appear.

"Satellite Bomb!"

Releasing the fireball, it collided with the treant at high velocity. The resulting explosion engulfed the entire clearing in a massive inferno, blowing Arme back once more. This time, however, she managed to land on a grassy area, cushioning the impact. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blast to subside. When it seemed to, she inspected the damage that her spell had wrought while clutching her wounded side.

_I guess it _was _worth the night learning that spell. _The charred remains of a treant among bare dirt was all that remained of the clearing. It seemed that the fire had also incinerated every apple on its head. This destruction, sadly, did not seem to reach the familiar, who observed from a safe distance, as the Knight Master's voice soon rang from it.

"You destroyed every apple on that treant."

Arme indignantly retorted, "It was the only option I had under the circumstances! Besides, you didn't tell me that the apple tree was a monster!"

"You were supposed to figure that out on your own. Although you didn't succeed in bringing an apple, you did manage to completely destroy the treant with one spell... Congratulations, you pass."

"Fine, I didn't want to be in some stupid apple tree monster-making gui- what?" Arme continued her rant, and only the congratulations managed to stop her from finishing her sentence.

"You really seem to be hard of hearing. I said you pass."

Suddenly, Arme was whisked back in front of the Knight Master, who offered her a broad grin and a pat on the shoulder. "Congratulations on passing the first test. Go to the healers- they will tend to your injuries. The second test will begin shortly."

* * *

**MWAHAHA I'm back from Shangri-La! After days of dryness-induced injuries, climbing two (and a half) mountains, and being uber mad at how humid this current place is, I can finally type again!**

**Please R&R~**


	3. Chapter 2: Teamwork

_Disclaimer: I don't own GC, SG Interactive, KoG, or whatevs. Seriously. Could you imagine a fanfic writer owning that?_

* * *

_Chapter 2: Teamwork and Aspirations_

* * *

_I came to the Grand Chase for more than ending Kaze'aze's life. From how she has influenced all of Bermesiah's monsters, it is obvious that Kaze'aze is years, decades, maybe even centuries ahead in the field of magic. I want to explore the world and find all its secrets. I want to find obscure and unknown magics and master them. But most of all, I seek the knowledge that this Queen of Darkness holds and share it with the world. Well, maybe just the basic concepts. The rest, I want for myself._

Arme nervously fiddled with her staff as she followed the dainty familiar through the deciduous forest to the designated area for the second test.

The instructions of the Knight Master still rang in her head. "This second test won't be as simple as the forest. Next, you must scale the Trial Tower. At its top, you will find a monster called Wendy. Your mission is to retrieve her horn _without _burning her to a crisp." Arme's cheeks stung at that particular remark. "You will not be doing this test alone, though. Wendy is far too much for one person to take without sustaining grave injuries. For that reason, and the purpose of this test, you will be working with two others. We will monitor you the same way as the forest and gauge your ability to work in a team. Follow the familiar to your destination. Good luck, Chaser." In a practiced motion, the Knight Master turned and strode back into the castle, leaving Arme with questions and a little butterfly to follow.

Her uncertainty and nervousness came mostly from her concerns with her unknown teammates. _What if they aren't nice? What if they're a burden to me? Will they accept a 15-year-old girl like me? _Arme's thoughts soon went wayward as she began imagining terrible scenarios for her encounter. _What if they're all magic haters? What if they're all ugly guys? What if they're old? What if, _she imagined in horror, _they're old ugly guys who hate magic _and _are into teenage girls?! _She violently shook her head, desperately trying to erase the scarring image along with the chill that crawled down her spine. If that came to pass, she decided, she could make some excuse for their disappearance. Maybe Wendy ate them. After cooking them. To a crisp. Then she remembered the familiar. _I could shoot a fireball at it and say it was an accident, _she reasoned. _But it stays so far away from the fight... _Arme was so deep in thought devising a plot to escape her potential creeper teammates that she ran into someone ahead of her and tripped, landing on the soft dirt.

The girl giggled and offered a hand to the magician. In a melodious voice, like birds chirping their morning song, she said, "I find these accidents don't happen if you walk without thinking so hard."

"Sorry," Arme apologized, taking her hand. She looked up sheepishly, only to marvel at the beauty of the person she ran into. "Uh..."

Her hair was blond like the first rays of dawn. The back of it was drawn up into a ponytail while the front hung freely. Emerald eyes that glittered with kindness looked at her in mild amusement; the surrounding area seemed to shimmer in her aura of friendliness. She was fair-skinned, like Arme, but it seemed untouched and almost glowed with vitality. Her face was extraordinarily beautiful: symmetrical, in the right dimensions, and without a blemish; the same could be said for her body. Arme was unsure if she ran into a forest spirit, she seemed so unreal.

Her fashion sense did not help. An emerald feather ornament was clipped on the left side. The girl was dressed in, from what little knowledge Arme gathered from history books, a traditional elven dress that was forest green with turquoise trim. She wore armguards of cloth and wood, colored the same as her outfit. She also wore shoes similar to a fusion of boots and sandals, reaching just below her knees and having a toe, but attached only at the back and front, the sides exposing her feet. To complete her outfit, a brown sash was tied around her waist and slim brass rings were around her thighs. A bow, likely of elvish make, was strapped to her back.

"Uh..."

The girl laughed, clearly amused by the stunned look on Arme's face. "Lire. Now, are you going to keep gawking at me, or are you ready to get to the tower?"

"Wait...you're one of the members I'm teaming with?"

"Well, I'm not a member yet. I'm a new Chaser, like you."

All previous thoughts of creepy old perverts were blown away in Arme's mind. "My name's Arme! Arme Glenstid! Sorry for staring at you. You're so pretty, I thought I ran into some forest spirit."

Lire blushed at the compliment. "Oh, I'm not that good-looking. It's a pleasure to meet you, Arme. I'm looking forward to fighting alongside you."

The two began exchanging small talk as they walked towards the tower, as if they were already the greatest of friends. "How'd you feel about the first test?" Arme asked.

"It was not very difficult until the treant. My attacks were of little effect on a monster made of wood. In the end, I simply tripped it and grabbed an apple before it could stand up. You?

Arme gave a nervous chuckle. "I kinda...killed it and every apple on its head."

Lire's face widened in surprise. "Wow! You must be very skilled."

"Not really... never mind about that. I noticed your ears. Are you really-"

Before she could finish her question, the forest cleared and the shadow of the Trial Tower swallowed her. Looking up at it, Arme was overcome with a sense of awe. The width of the tower was easily over a hundred meters, and its bulky top touched the clouds, a hand reaching towards the ceiling of the world. Obviously, it was ancient; the rock of which it was made looked worn and battered, and plants grew all over its walls and any crevices where a seed found purchase in. _We have to climb this?_ Arme looked over at Lire and saw she seemed similarly affected.

They looked down and saw someone already waiting for them, tapping their foot impatiently on the stairway of the iron gate. With sudden realization, Arme saw it was the redheaded girl in line for the test.

The girl had her long hair braided into a loop. Her ruby eyes burned with challenge, determination, and slight irritation. She carried herself with a confident and almost haughty presence. She was fair-skinned as well, but unlike Arme or Lire, she looked in top physical form. She wore a tube top covered by a breastplate, all of which was dark red. The redhead wore steel armguards with black fingerless gloves that extended to the middle of her biceps and black leggings that went mid-thigh. Her boots were lightly armored. A sword and scabbard hung from her left side. In every right, she resembled a trained soldier.

"You guys must've also passed the first test." With a straight face, she gruffly introduced herself. "Nice to meet you two, I'm Elesis."

_She seems really...stuck up,_ Arme thought as she replied with a wave and smile, "Hi, Elesis! The name's Arme!"

Lire calmly nodded and said, "Greetings, Elesis. My name is Lire."

"Alright, let's go," Elesis said while turning towards the doors, seemingly ignoring them. "We got a monster to slay."

Arme puffed her cheeks in irritation. _Great, I actually have to put up with a jerk on the team. It's better than what I expected, though; I hope we can all get along._

They and the monitoring familiar - the others having dissipated - entered the massive doors, which closed in a booming thud, sealing them from the rest of the world.

* * *

_It has been two years since you left, and it has been two years since I heard from you. When I learned that it was all because of that Queen of Darkness, I became all the more determined to get stronger. Thank the Creator that the Grand Chase was made, for now I have a chance to fulfill my goal. I will fight to make sure what happened to me does not happen to anyone else. I will personally lop that stupid witch's head off if need be. But before I do anything like that, I will have my questions answered. What happened two years ago? Who is responsible for your disappearance? Most importantly, where are you?_

Almost immediately after entering the tower, a horde of goblins and mass of slimes launched their assault, hoping to catch their prey unaware.

Although they were surprised, predator quickly became the new prey.

Elesis sprang into action almost immediately, running and, after infusing her mana into her blade, spun, unleashing a mighty shockwave that cleared the first wave of goblins. Not losing momentum, she dashed into the crowd, cutting down five goblins with five strokes of her sword. Leaping to evade their clubs and stones, she brought down her blade, cleanly slicing a goblin in half vertically. As the now gore-smeared Elesis picked herself off the cracked floor and turned towards the rest of the goblins, she silently beckoned them with one finger.

The majority charged, a few fleeing for another chance to live and fight.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed Lire assisting her, shooting at any goblin attempting to blindside her. Elesis marveled at Lire's marksmanship; even shooting five arrows at once, she did not miss her mark. When the last goblin fell, left side sliced off, Elesis was surprised to find the majority had not been taken down by her, but by Lire's onslaught. All of her victims were brought down by headshots.

During this time, Arme was busy turning the slimes into ice cubes. She had encased herself in four walls of ice and waited as the slimes grouped up, pounding away at the frigid walls in an attempt to attack the inhabitant. Suddenly, Arme twirled in the air and the surrounding area froze into a massive spiked ball of ice; those who were not directly frozen were impaled by the icicles. Elesis lightly scoffed as Arme began sliding around on the frozen slimes, giggling when she collided with another frozen blob. _How childish, _she thought, ignoring the fact she wiped out the entire wave in one spell. She could not believe that she had to put up with such an immature brat as a partner. Lire, at least, was serious and reliable when a fight came, but kind and mature anytime else. Looking around and finding no one left to oppose their dominance of the room, Elesis went to a shallow pool of water by the wall of the tower, rain collected from a hole in the wall, and washed herself and her blade clean of blood. Turning back to her companions, she then quickly nodded and said, "I suppose now that we aren't going to be interrupted, we can do a proper introduction of each other." The others agreed, even though Elesis noted that Arme shot her a weird look.

Ignoring it for the moment, Elesis continued, "I'll start. My name's Elesis - you don't need to know my last name. Besides its original purpose, I joined the Chase for..." She paused slightly. How much should she tell them? Should she tell them at all? She shook her head and said, "Sorry about that. I joined the Chase for personal reasons. As you can tell," brandishing her blade, "I'm a swordsman."

"My name's Arme Glenstid. I'm a member of the Violet Mages, of the highest order of the magicians, I might add," she announced, small chest swelling in pride. Elesis had to fight a snicker. _Pretty sad if this child's one of their best. _Arme continued, saying, "I also joined the Chase for personal reasons, mostly to learn more about the world's magic."

Lire nodded. "I am Lire of Eryuell Island. I am an archer. Hopefully, we can get along." At the end of this short self-introduction, she gave a warm smile, as if it cleared the other mysteries about her.

_Eryuell, huh? _This meant her suspicions were confirmed. "So your pointed ears... you're an elf, aren't you?" Lire nodded again.

Arme looked surprised, but she nodded to the statement. "So your ears are real! What's an elf doing here? We haven't seen an elf since the start of the Five Year War. All we got were a few messages asking for coöperation."

Lire's smile saddened somewhat, although it was still warm as ever. "I'm afraid I cannot say. I am under strict instructions from the Elven Counsel to not reveal anything that could endanger us."

An awkward silence lingered, so the three agreed to keep moving on.

The goblins and slimes did not attack en masse like when they first entered the tower. Instead, they resorted to sneak attacks, hiding in the shadows or in holes and attempting to attack them when they passed them. While this started to irritate Elesis and put her nerves on edge, it made the attacks extremely predictable. As a result, they were able to clear the waves without much issue.

Once, a group of five goblins managed to surround Lire, but faster than the human eye could see, the elf jumped and twisted in inhuman ways while firing arrows all around her, dropping them almost at the same time. As she landed gracefully, Elesis noticed that the archer had no quiver. "How did you do that? I couldn't even imagine copying your movements. And where do you get your arrows from if you don't have a quiver?"

Lire said nothing, but held her hand out to the air. In a slight gust, the basic framework for an arrow appeared in the elf's hand, forged with raw mana. "Materialization magic. Saves a lot of space and money on my part," she explained. "All elves can move in ways humans can only dream of. As for my speed... elves are capable of a certain superhuman feat in small bursts. For me, it is enhanced speed and reflexes. For another, it might be enhanced magic or extreme strength. Using it too much in a short time or for too long will damage us, though." Lire looked into the distance, with a vaguely troubled expression on her face. "Please refrain from any questions on us elves. I fear I may have said too much already."

Arme piped up. "My turn to ask questions! Elesis, are you a magic swordsman? I saw you shooting wind blades and setting your sword on fire and stuff. Who'd you learn from?"

Elesis snorted, "I can't use magic. The best I can do is put some mana into my sword and will something to happen. I can't just summon a block of ice or launch lightning bolts from my hand. Not like I've ever wanted to, and I sure ain't telling you who my teacher is. Bug someone else."

Arme shot her a furious glare. "Fine, I will," she said, and angrily stomped towards the next floor. Lire extended a hand as if to stop her, but she had already scaled the stairs, leaving Lire and Elesis behind her.

Lire glanced up worriedly as a massive explosion rocked the tower, followed by the squeaks of goblins in fear of the rampaging mage. "That was poorly handled," she noted. Another cluster of smaller explosions reverberated the room, the vibrations running through Elesis's body.

"Like I care." Paying no heed to the sounds of electrocution and screaming above, Elesis scaled the stairs to join Arme, grumbling all the while.

Alone, Lire let out a heavy sigh. She scanned behind her and, once she was confident no goblins were tailing them, reluctantly climbed to catch up to them.

* * *

_Years ago, elves and humans coexisted in harmony. They played together, laughed together, and cried together. In a single instant, Kaze'aze took all of that way; the Five Year War caused the first unnatural elven deaths in centuries. Distraught and enraged, the Elven Counsel decreed all human contact to be severed. Even after the war, elves on Eryuell Island are fearful of the violent world of humans and Kaze'aze. I was given the task of representative of the Eryuell elves, and I will represent them to the best of my abilities. Perhaps once more, we will be able to laugh and cry at each others' sides. Perhaps... we may never have to war again._

Lire could not have asked for more skilled allies. Elesis spun, avoiding a pelting of fist-sized stones, and dashed towards the goblins throwing rocks, dispatching them with the grace and precision of a master swordsman. To her left, Lire saw Arme prepare a spell in the face of a small army of slimes and goblins.

"Disturbing power, unleash thy cruel judgment upon my enemies! Creeping Death!"

She fired a mass of dark energy, hitting the nearest slime. Upon impact, the slime detonated in a spray of slime goo. Poison gas floated out of what remained, choking the nearby monsters and incapacitating them while Arme launched an energy ball at the survivors, finishing the job. _I sure wouldn't like to fight her, _Lire nervously thought as she watched Arme survey the destruction which she had wrought.

_I could not have asked for more skilled allies_, she thought while catching up to them. Her only wish was that they could somehow get along.

Lire sensed the tension almost from the beginning, when Elesis first introduced herself to Arme. She could not understand what about Arme ticked Elesis off so much, but it seemed if Arme so much as spoke, the knight's eyes would go steely, her nostrils would flare, and she would take a deep breath, followed by a sharp exhale. Arme's attempts at befriending her were tossed aside with rough words or a cold shoulder, and soon, Lire could see the cheerful mage was becoming increasingly frustrated and irritated; she would act the same as Elesis when she opened _her _mouth.

_So much for teamwork, _Lire thought as she kicked a pebble off the spiral stairway, watching it hit the lower floor. It was not as grim as the worst possible scenario that Lire could picture; on the contrary, they could work as a team without a raised voice or complaint. It did nothing to disguise the ominous and oppressing fog of tension that seemed to billow between the two. Lire half-expected that, if this test was not to test teamwork, one of them would have tried to strangle the other already. She swore to herself that she would make sure they did not fight. If they were so busy bickering with each other, she realized, they could not focus all of their energy towards thwarting Kaze'aze.

It was well she made that promise. After an hour of endless climbing, they stopped to take a break. Lire then noticed abnormally bright light shine down from the ancient stairway ahead. Elesis also seemed to notice, for she said with confidence, "It looks like we're almost at the top. Stay sharp, guys! We're almost to our goal. We just need to press on a little more."

"Enough!" Arme yelled, to Lire's surprise. Arme glared at Elesis with a look of annoyance. "You've been acting like our superior since we first met you, never mind that we tried to be friends with you. You just brushed us aside coldly, acting like whatever we do is a hindrance to _your personal goal_. Think you're some leader or hotshot, don't you?"

Before Lire could say anything that could resolve this potentially terrible argument, Elesis returned the glare with fury, and growled, "This coming from the little girl who's all proud to be the highest order of some magic guild? Ha! Without magic, you're nothing but a _weakling_. You got something else to say?"

"Come on, guys." Lire stood between them, desperately trying to placate two dangerous moods. The air between them seemed to crackle with animosity. Something to gain, she decided, would likely be the easiest way to quell their fury. In a calm and even tone, she pressed on. "Please calm down, the both of you. Remember the Knight Master's words? They're watching and testing us to see how we function as a team. Are you really going to risk not passing just because you guys don't see eye-to-eye?"

"As if I need that weakling to pass this test. Although..." Elesis was silent as she pondered the consequences of fighting here when their objective was so close. "...Hmph, I suppose you're right. I'll let this slide, _magician_. You're damn lucky Lire was here."

Gritting her teeth, Arme retorted, "Fine! I'll let this slide, too, _knight_. As for how lucky it is Lire is here... we both certainly know who's it lucky for." Both adversaries turned and walked to opposite ends of the room, each mumbling curses at the other.

Crisis averted for now, Lire breathed a sigh of relief. _I think this is going to be frequent, too frequent for my liking. _At the very least, the team was still holding... albeit barely. Focusing on the task at hand, Lire asked, "Could we rest another ten minutes? I'm a bit low on mana from conjuring arrows." _And energy to keep standing between you two._

"Yeah, go for it," Elesis called from the wall she was leaning on.

"Thanks."

The girls rested and readied themselves for their unknown foe, their last obstacle before their individual goals would finally be within reach.


	4. Chapter 3: Horns and Cold Shoulders

_So sorry about the extremely late and somewhat short update. Got back from a vacation in China and just (mostly) recovered from jet lag. Anyway, please enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: No, I don't own GC, SG Interactive, or KoG._

* * *

_Chapter 3: Horns and Cold Shoulders_

* * *

The Knight Master's subordinates marveled as the familiar brought image upon image of the trio's spectacular feats. They cheered Elesis on as she displayed her prowess, gaped in silent awe at Lire's superhuman abilities, and laughed as they saw Arme having fun with frozen slimes. A newer member looked back at the Knight Master who was sitting in her cedar desk, ever vigilant as she shuffled through the test documents for any more potential Chaser candidates, and exclaimed, "These girls are amazing! They're going to pass this test with ease at this rate."

"Perhaps," was the only reply she received from her superior. The Knight Master had an extensive history with interrogating prisoners and such. She was the Knight Master, after all; she had her duties to the Queen of Serdin and the kingdom's security as well as her duties to her guild. Based on her experience with reading faces and the images of Elesis and Arme's glares at each other, the situation certainly did not seem as optimistic as her men and women believed it to be. She shook her head. _They are not working as a team, but rather as three individuals._

The Knight Master glanced up from her work as her subordinates started shouting at the massive explosions Arme was producing as she singlehandedly went and took out entire floors of goblins and slimes. _And they're getting on each other's nerves, too._ She almost pitied Lire, who seemed a most promising member to the Chase. At this rate, not only would they fail to get Wendy's horn, even if they did come back, they would not call themselves Chasers. She hated to see such skill go to waste, but there was no place in the Grand Chase for internal conflict.

* * *

Arme picked herself off the damp stone floor. Feeling much more refreshed and calm, she walked over to Lire, who was sitting on the stairway. Arme put on her best smile and asked, "You ready to go?"

Lire returned her smile, but there was conflicting emotion in her eyes. Nervousness? Worry? Arme was never good at reading emotions, yet she was certain that the elf was having second thoughts. Sitting next to her, she took her hands with her own, which brought a surprised look on the archer.

Arme asked, "We're friends, right?" Lire nodded cautiously. Arme gave a light sigh and dropped her gaze in apology. "I'm sorry that you had to break that fight up," she said. "It's just... I want to be friends with Elesis, too. The only problem is she's just so... so..."

"Cold? Stubborn? Rude?" Lire offered as she adjusted to a more comfortable position.

Arme shrugged and replied, "Well, yeah, but I wanted to think of a more creative and insulting way to say that."

Lire gently took her hands from the magician and rubbed her temples. "It's neither of your faults, really. It's just that you two are more similar than you think."

Arme crossed her arms and twisted her head away from Lire. She grumbled, "There's no way we're alike at all!"

The elf giggled. "Well, that's one way where you _are _alike." Lire picked herself off the cold stone and brushed herself of any dirt. Stretching, she said, "I'm going to pick up Elesis so we can finish this test. Fighting always takes so much out of me... I'm hungry, tired, and need a bath. Wait here."

Receiving a nod of confirmation from Arme, Lire began walking to where Elesis was leaning on the wall, who was glaring at the two with an expression of suspicion. Arme noticed the slight argument they had with each other the moment Lire got there, back facing the magician. Curiosity overcoming etiquette, Arme muttered a spell to eavesdrop on them.

"...with her, Elesis?" The spell caught Lire in mid-question.

"It's bad enough that she's a magician," Elesis spat. "She's probably the most immature person I've ever met." Arme bristled at the comment. She was _not _immature - she just enjoyed the little pleasures of life. Sliding around on frozen slimes was no exception.

"I think that Arme is a very fun person to be around, and I'll bet she knows when to be serious. You have to admit, goblins are not the most challenging enemies for our skill level," Lire reasoned. "And what do you mean by it's 'bad enough she's a magician'? Without her skill in magic, we'd still be fighting a sea of goblins."

"Magic's the only reason we're in this mess to begin with," Elesis grumbled.

"You mean..."

"Kaze'aze."

A long silence followed the name of their nemesis. Arme was shocked at how insulting, yet... true her statement was. _Is she saying I'm like Kaze'aze? Or is she blaming magic as the cause of the Five Year War? _She thought back to the records of the war and remembered the devastation and strife each kingdom's mages had wrought upon each other. _Would the aftereffects be as bad if magic didn't exist? _A worse thought occurred to her. _Would the war even have happened at all? _Hesitantly, she continued listening, fearful of what Lire's answer might be.

Lire looked over her shoulder at Arme before looking back. " ... While it might be true Kaze'aze uses magic, that is no excuse to think that Arme is anything like her. Such thoughts are merely prejudice based on the actions of one. Haven't you seen how much easier Arme made this test? Haven't you seen the benefits magic has given humanity? I myself can't list how many ways magic has assisted us elves," she reasoned. Lire's voice then dropped to a whisper, a soft plead that Arme had to strain to hear, even with her spell. "Not all magicians are evil. At least give her a chance, Elesis. She deserves that much."

Arme felt a film of tears well and spill over her eyes. Even if they failed this test, even if Elesis continued to hate her, she would never forget Lire for liking her for who she was and not by what she was. She quickly dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief; it would be weird if they found her crying for no reason. She heard Elesis mumble, "Fine," and quickly terminated the spell when she heard the rustling of clothes as the two picked themselves off the floor and walked towards her. Arme pretended to be busy staring at a group of golden wildflowers growing on a sunny, yet mossy section of broken wall, gently swaying in the breeze.

Without taking a glance at Arme, Elesis said, " Let's go," and walked up the stone stairs to the entrance bathed in light. Lire stopped, knelt next to Arme, and whispered in her ear, "Next time, don't look at us and make facial expressions when you eavesdrop," before also climbing up the steps, two at a time.

Arme blushed furiously and teleported to the top, unwilling to look either of them in the face.

* * *

Once her eyes became accustomed, Lire noticed the contrast between the top and the lower floors.

Every previous floor had been dark and damp, moss and lichen growing in various areas of the floor and walls with an occasional hole allowing some form of light. Here, the top of the tower had a massive section missing, a great beam of sunlight conveniently cast where the stairs were located. It was frigid and dry with sparse grasses and bushes growing in the frost, not unlike a tundra. Mounds and pillars of snow and ice were randomly assorted throughout the area. Not the faintest trace of goblin or slime could be located.

Lire felt a light wave of lightheadedness and difficulty breathing as she stood and took notice of her surroundings. She realized they must be several hundred, maybe even thousand meters above the ground. _The sooner we finish this task, the better. _Time was not on their side and the enemy had the home field advantage. Taking another sweeping view, Lire noticed a mound of white and gray with horns of ice protruding from it.

Horns of ice...

"Guys," she mouthed excitedly and pointed. Arme and Elesis took notice and looked over at the designated area. "It's Wendy," Lire continued in a whisper. "Looks like we caught her sleeping."

"Hmph," Elesis smirked. "This'll be easier than taking candy from a mushmon. That's a shame; I expected a real fight. You guys wait here, then. I'm the only one who's got something to slice a horn off." Without waiting for a reply, the knight began cautiously inching towards Wendy.

"Hopefully, she doesn't screw this up," Arme mumbled when Elesis was about halfway to Wendy. "I could've cast a spell to make her completely silent."

Nodding, Lire remarked, "She's being too impatient and too confident. We should go and help her."

"Nah, let her go. She'll ask for help eventually."

Before Lire could ask what she meant, she saw it: a patch of slick ice. Elesis, in her eagerness, did not. Confident that Wendy would not awaken, the knight started running the rest of the way. Upon making contact with the slippery surface, she slid and let out a surprised yelp as she landed clumsily on the frozen ground.

Lire sighed while Arme smacked her face with her hand.

With a grunt, Wendy slowly clambered up on her hind legs and roared in annoyance and fury. She resembled an ape with a white coat of fur on her body and black fur on her face, arms, and legs. White streaks resembling tattoos or markings were present on her muscular arms. On the monster's head grew a mighty horn of ice, curved and perhaps a foot tall. Smaller rows of similar spikes could be on her back.

Finding the one who disturbed her rest, Wendy pounded her right fist at Elesis. Quickly rolling to the monster's left, the knight barely dodged the blow, chips of rock and ice flying from the miniature crater Wendy produced. Elesis dragged her sword on the ground, sparking and igniting as she prepared to retaliate.

With surprising speed, Wendy swung her left hand in a backhand blow, catching the smaller girl in the face. Elesis flew back several feet and, upon landing, rolled several more before colliding with a small, flat pillar of ice. Wiping the blood off her lip with gritted teeth and shakily getting back up, she charged her initial attack once more, hurling two mighty upward swings of sparks and flame. Wendy shielded herself, covering her face and body as the fire produced burned her arms. Howling in pain, the monster took a deep breath and blew a blue gust of ice breath. Upon contact with the knight, horizontal icicles grew out of her armor and sword until they were coated in inches of ice, slowing her down drastically. Wendy then began beating her chest and rolled towards the frozen girl in increasing speed.

Her weight would crush the ice, and by extension, Elesis. Even if the armor survived, her horns and spikes would pierce through it as if it were no more than tissue. This, Wendy had done many times before to other intruders of her den, each attempting to claim her majestic horn of enchanted ice. And many times, she felt the crunch of bones and armor and heard humans scream in pain. This would be no different.

Wendy collided headfirst with the tower wall.

Lire watched the confused monster as Arme reappeared by her side, a frozen Elesis in tow. Arme looked at the redhead and giggled, "Maybe I should slide _you _around."

"Don't. Even. Think about it," Elesis emphasized sternly. "What were you doing? I had it under control."

"Like hell you did," Arme retorted. "If I hadn't come to teleport you out of there, you'd be an iced pancake with holes. Now sit still while I thaw you - not like you have much of a choice."

"Fine. Once you do, fall back. I've got this."

"Enough of that," Lire said calmly in spite of her mild annoyance. "Why do you think you have to do everything alone? We are a _team._ No doubt you could do this on your own, but not without grave injuries. We're here being judged on our teamwork now, not individual skill." Lire turned towards Wendy, who had finally realized where her targets were. She looked back and was pleased to note Elesis was finished thawing. She quickly said, "Alright, I will distract Wendy. Arme will try to immobilize Wendy long enough for Elesis to cut that horn off."

"Sounds simple," Elesis replied. She rolled her shoulders and exhaled. "Let's do this. Don't screw up."

"We should be saying that to you, you ignoramus," Arme muttered inaudibly to Elesis, but enough for Lire's ears to catch.

With a nod, Lire dashed towards Wendy, who roared a challenge to her new opponent. The archer made a sharp turn to avoid a hammer blow from the monster and let loose two arrows in quick succession. The arrows did little aside from angering Wendy even more.

As Lire continued to dodge swing after swing, she heard Arme yell, "Wendy's moving too fast! I can't get a good shot!"

Lire backflipped several meters away from the rampaging beast. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes.

The world slowed.

Lire materialized another arrow, yet this one was different from the others. The arrow tip thrummed with power as frozen vapor gently surrounded it. She felt a noticeable slight drop in her strength. Lire hated enchanting arrows with elemental power - the mana required to do so could be used to make a hundred normal ones with ease. However, this was not the time to be conserving energy. She took careful aim at Wendy, her wild dash slowed to a lumbering walk, similar to wading in a shallow river.

She fired the arrow, and time resumed its normal pace.

Upon contact with Wendy's foot, the arrow exploded into a stalagmite of ice, causing Wendy to fall over in surprise. "Now!" Lire screamed.

Arme quickly launched a couple binding rings at Wendy, restraining her arms and legs. The monster thrashed violently in an attempt to break the binds, but to no avail. Elesis ran up, beating Wendy in the head once with the flat of the blade and knocking her unconscious. The knight then cleanly cut through the horn on Wendy's head, it being the largest.

"Finally," Arme moaned loudly before falling backwards on the snow. "If I have to cast any more magic, I might die from exhaustion~."

The Knight Master's voice echoed through the observing familiar. "Come to my office. We will discuss your results there."

"Can't we rest first?" Arme continued complaining. "I'm so tired and we still have to climb down this tower."

"If it'll make you move faster, Wendy will be waking up in five, ten minutes at most. I'm sure she will be _pleased _to find that her treasured horn is missing..."

At this, Arme jumped up, seemingly full of vigor. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" The magician ran down the stairs as fast as she could go, the familiar desperately trying to catch up. Elesis followed suit with the horn, not eager to be seen carrying it by Wendy. Lire looked back at the unconscious monster and said, "Sorry," before also descending with all possible haste.

Ten minutes later, a thunderous roar of anguish reverberated from the top of the tower, frightening the nearby birds to flight and causing the three girls to look nervously at the ceiling.


	5. Chapter 4: Surprise Attack

_Disclaimer: Guess who GC, SG Interactive, and KoG belong to? If you said "not lLegendsl," congratulations! You've earned a cookie._

* * *

_Chapter 4: Surprise Attack_

* * *

A suffocating silence loomed over the office as the Knight Master pondered the fate of the three girls sitting in the middle of her workspace.

The guild founder turned the pages of their results in a maddeningly slow pace. Elesis knew it was for show - she had been through this before, when she first aspired to become a knight. Knowing that did nothing to ease the roiling nervousness that clenched her stomach into a knot. It had been a day since they brought back Wendy's horn, and they were merely told to come to her office at noon today. Elesis still remembered the expressionless face of the Knight Master as she greeted them and had them sit. Determined not to show any weakness, she sat rigidly straight on the plush chair, hands on her knees, staring past the Knight Master and focusing on the view of Serdin's landscape.

_It certainly is different from Kanavan, _Elesis thought. Although no scholar of architecture, even she noticed the different styles between the two kingdoms' royal quarters. Kanavan had a taste for majestic; buildings were tall and narrow like towers, with ample alleyways between each one. Royal residences and workplaces tended to be built with pointed arches, buttresses, spires, and pinnacles. Windows were almost always stained with figures of importance, mortal and deity alike. Serdin seemed to veer towards beauty; all of them were built as if they were churches. They were all symmetrical and spacious, designed with ornate columns and domes of varying stone. Potted plants decorated almost every doorway, vibrant balls of color in the distance. The walls and common dwellings were similar, as both kingdoms used them for practical reasons. Beyond that, spacious green and brown patches stretched towards the horizon.

_It's nice that the fields of grass and crops are so lush, just like Kanavan. No doubt it's tampering from those mages, though. _Elesis broke her vigil to sneak a glance towards her right, where Arme was lost in her own world, admiring the various honors and awards hung on the wall and gawking at the two massive bookcases on either side of the room. If Elesis squinted, she could faintly see several titles of history, strategy and warfare, and magic. Important documents were located on the bottom shelf of both cases. As Arme stretched and stifled a yawn, Elesis wondered - not for the first time today - how did she get paired up with such an immature person.

Looking to her left, she saw Lire relaxed and calm as ever, but nonetheless focused on the Knight Master for any possible telltale signs of her verdict. She respected Lire, but did not understand why she would stand up for the little magician. _Doesn't she realize we're going to have to take care of this girl? I, for one, did not sign up to be a babysitter._ Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she returned to her earlier stoic form.

Finally, just before Elesis was about to explode in impatience and nervousness, the Knight Master slammed her hands on her desk and, looking back and forth between the girls, sternly said, "What am I going to do with you three? You may have demonstrated your prowess, but your capacity for teamwork is... severely lacking. Only once did I see all three of you working together; the rest of the time, you were snapping at each other's heels like wild dogs." Arme and Elesis gulped. "Do you understand the predicament I'm in? Such talent, and yet I'm not confident whether letting you three join would be a blessing or a curse..." Sighing, the blonde knight placed a hand on her forehead, mouth creasing to a thin line.

The silence returned.

"Elesis! Lire! Arme!"

The three stammered, "Y-yes!"

The Knight Master frowned. "My decision is that you three-"

One of the Master's subordinates barged through the door, an expression of shock and fear on his face. "Ma'am! We require your assistance at the eastern wall!"

She growled, "What is it? This better be an urgent matter and not about one of you getting drunk on duty and making a fool of yourselves again. I swear, if so, I will tear your-"

"The goblins! They've broken through the eastern wall!"

"WHAT?!" The Knight Master stood up so abruptly, her seat toppled behind her in a muffled thud on the carpet. "How is that possible? There is no way goblins could break down our walls on their own."

"We don't know either, ma'am! While on patrol, a section of the wall just exploded inwards and an army of goblins entered. There are too many of them; we need your assistance!"

"So be it." Grabbing the rapier leaning on the side of the desk, the Knight Master marched out the door. She stopped and turned back to the three girls. "Stay here. We will discuss your results after this fiasco."

Elesis could not believe what she just heard. "What? Let us join you. We'll crush those midgets in no time!"

"No." The Knight Master glared at Elesis, who returned it. They stared at each other for a couple minutes before Elesis averted her gaze, backing down to her superior's aura of authority. The elder knight nodded and softly said, "Good," before walking away with her subordinate, demanding reports on damage and casualties. The door slammed shut and their footsteps faded into the distance.

Once out of earshot, Elesis groaned in exasperation. "How are we supposed to just stand here and wait when a battle's right on our doorstep?"

Lire replied, "There must be something the Knight Master suspected that might be above our current level of skill. We were all exhausted from fighting goblins in Trial Tower, and that was hardly what you could call an army."

"Yeah, but that was different. We had to climb a massive tower and we'd have other knights assisting us this time. Besides, they're just weakling goblins."

With a roll of her eyes, Arme interjected. "Yeah, but those 'weakling goblins' managed to break through Serdin's wall. That's five, maybe six feet of solid rock we're talking about. Obviously, they have something or someone strong with them. Maybe if you didn't charge first, think later, you would've also realized that."

Before Elesis could retaliate with slights of her own, another one of the Knight Master's subordinates opened the door. She looked around for her captain, but only found three girls, two of them glaring death at each other. "Where..." The soldier paused to catch her breath. "Where is the Knight Master?"

Elesis could care less to respond; she was too busy staring Arme down. Lire replied instead, not taking her eyes off the other two. "She went off to the east wall to fight goblins. Can we take a message?"

"A smaller group of goblins broke through the western side of the wall! All the troops there except for one were sent to the east. He might need reinforcements!"

Elesis and Arme stopped their showdown to look at the woman in surprise. "Just one?" Elesis asked.

The woman nodded. "I merely saw him alone fighting goblins. I came here to ask for reinforcements... but it seems the Knight Master is not here."

Elesis thought about it, and slowly grinned. "We can handle that," nodding towards Lire and Arme. Both of them gave her looks of confusion. Elesis cupped her hands behind her head. "I'm a bit bored, and waiting for the Knight Master isn't going to help. I think I'll go and... take a walk."

Arme saw through it immediately. She asked, "Around the west side?"

"You know it. Would you guys like to go with me? I'm not familiar with the city."

"Ugh, we're going to get in so much trouble... but this is _my _city they're messing with. No one messes with my city," Arme said in a childish tone of anger. "I'm going."

Lire looked at them in disbelief. "We're going against the Knight Master's orders," she whispered. "At the very least, we're going to receive another scolding."

"Didn't realize you were _that _much of a goody-two-shoes," Elesis smirked.

Lire sighed, something that she was doing a lot recently. "Very well," she replied, testing her bowstring. "It's quite rude of them to interfere with the announcement of our results, anyway. Let's teach them some manners."

The soldier nodded. "Understood. I will take you guys there before joining with the Knight Master."

As they followed, Elesis felt a shiver of excitement and grinned in anticipation. Whatever these goblins had, it must be good if it could destroy the kingdom's walls. That meant it was strong; it meant that it would be a challenge, unlike the trees and slimes and goblins she'd been facing so far.

She could hardly wait.

* * *

_Elesis seems to be extremely disappointed, _Lire noted as the three - the soldier having left for the Knight Master - marveled at the bodies and corpses of burned and broken goblins scattered throughout the streets. The number of defeated enemies slowly increased in number until it came to a head ten meters away from a massive hole in the wall, splintered wood and bent steel surrounding the edges. What the team was more focused on was the black-haired man engaging two goblins, what seemed to be left of the force of possibly a hundred. With all possible haste, they started running towards the figure. _Did he do all of this? By _himself_?_ Such a feat would be nearly impossible for even elves, but despite what her brain said, Lire felt no one else's presence save for them and the three ahead.

One of the goblins mustered up the nerve to attempt and attack the man who had slain so many of its kind. With a battle roar (a squeak to human ears), it ran at him, club raised and poised to strike. All the man did was stand there, holding his sword in the opposite direction and smirking in amusement. He then spun around, holding his blade with both hands on the hilt, and swung the flat of the blade at the goblin's face. It collided, resulting in a sickeningly loud _crunch_ and sending the goblin sailing over the thirty meter wall.

All present stared at the projectile in awe.

The man laughed, echoing in the silence. "Aw man, that was awesome!" Once his fit of merriment had subsided, he sighed and said to no one in particular, "Wish they had a sport like this... we'd finally find a cool use for these pesky goblins." He turned around and had an expression of surprise as he saw his little audience. After a brief silence, he smirked. "What's this, reinforcements? For _me_? You shouldn't have~"

Elesis leaned toward Lire and muttered, "This is that one guy who was guarding this side? Seems like a lazy and arrogant ass to me."

Lire nodded, eyes never leaving the man. "Yes, he certainly is arrogant, but he's so strong - handsome, as well." The man looked like he was in his very late teens. His hair was unkempt and black. Having closed some of the distance, Lire also noticed faint purple streaks running through his hair. His face was handsome, with grey eyes and a perfect white smile. He also wore black body armor that had a sleeveless right and sleeved left arm. His jacket was tied at the collar, so it billowed like a cape in the breeze. He wore black pants with a white line in the middle of each leg and dark shoes with brown leather straps. His gladius was apparently decorated and colored to fit his outfit, for the edge of the blade was black while the middle was bright white. Blue jewels were placed in the hilt.

Elesis paid no heed; she was too busy glaring daggers at the man. "Who the hell are you?!"

The man stuck his sword into the stone and leaned on it. "So cold," he shook his head and whimpered in mock hurt. "Is that how kids treat legends these days?" The man sat down just as the last goblin reached his back, swinging at his face while he was supposedly unaware. He then backflipped over the goblin's head and punched it in the back. While the goblin was clutching its back in agony, the man then grabbed it and punched it again in the stomach, sending it sailing into the wall. Rolling his shoulder, he muttered, "Pesky, pesky goblins... destined to annoy people for all time." Only then did he introduce himself.

"Anyway, the name's Sieghart. You know, the mighty gladiator of Kanavan? Meh, what am I doing, you youngsters don't know who I am. You know where the new peeps of the Grand Chase are, though?"

Lire was about to respond when Elesis erupted in fury. "How dare you... using my ancestor's name like it's some fancy title! You dare disrespect him?!"

"Please forgive her," Lire quickly interjected. "We're the new candidates for the Grand Chase."

Sieghart looked at them in askance. He studied them, ignoring Elesis for the moment. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, slapping his knee in mirth. "Ha! Good one," he chuckled. "But no, seriously." Before they could respond, he flicked his wrist and pointed to the south. "Eh, well it doesn't matter. By the way, this was just a group sent to delay me. The others went to the south side of the walls to cause some havoc."

He started walking towards the hole in the wall, then stopped and glanced at Elesis. "Hey, Red," he called out. "You seem familiar and all, but don't frown so much. You'll get more wrinkles on your face." Laughing heartily, he bolted through the hole, yelling one last thing before he vanished. "By the way, if you see the Chase, tell them I'll be waiting on Xenia. Later!"

Lire nervously turned her head towards Elesis, who was fuming with a face rivaling the color of her hair. The elf had never seen her - anyone, for that matter - look so downright murderous. "What," Elesis seethed, "did he just say and call me?"

Lire waved her hands in front of her. "He was likely just teasing you, Elesis. Don't get so mad at his words." She looked over at Arme in dismay, expecting her to crack into peals of laughter. Instead, Arme stared blankly at the hole, seemingly deep in thought. "Arme, are you alright?"

Arme snapped out of it. "Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. I heard that name somewhere... I just don't remember where."

"Either way, we need to rush over to the south as soon as possible. I don't know what they're planning, but it can't be anything good." Lire grabbed Elesis by the arm, who still looked like she was ready to slaughter everything in sight, and began dragging her away from the hole where the knight was glaring at. "Come on, Arme, let's go!" Arme nodded and silently followed, evidently still pondering the significance of Sieghart. They began the short trek towards the south.

* * *

The Knight Master wiped the blood and gore off her rapier while she inspected the aftermath of the attack. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but the wounded were plentiful and would need immediate attention. The fight had forced them all the way to the northern walls, far away from the main city of Serdin. Once it was confirmed there were no more goblins in the vicinity, she demanded that the workers immediately begin repairing the walls. While the fighting had subsided for the moment, there was no guarantee another assault was not coming.

Ordering those who could still stand to take the injured to the infirmary, she thought in grim satisfaction how well it was that she could still take part in combat. No doubt she had grown rusty in reflexes, even if she practiced her swordsmanship daily; deskwork had that effect since the Five Year War passed. Perhaps some reflex training would come in handy. The Knight Master made a note to herself to ask a few archers to help her in a training session; slicing arrows in mid-air would certainly help.

"Knight Master, ma'am!" She turned around and found one of her subordinates saluting her.

She smartly returned it. "Speak, soldier."

"Goblins have also broken the western walls! I got reinforcements to go and drive them back."

"I see." This brought a faint worry in the knight's mind. Goblins were not smart enough to try using distraction as a tactic. Had Kaze'aze's influence caused them to become smarter? "Anything else?"

"Yes, ma'am. The searchers found this." The soldier brought out a tooth necklace from her right pocket. The sawlike tooth was as long as the Knight Master's middle finger. It was elegantly engraved in an unknown language and designs with onyx embedded in the center. "Didn't realize that goblins could make something like this."

Staring at the jewelry, the Knight Master suddenly realized something was terribly wrong. Goblins loved gems and shiny, metallic accessories, but this necklace was neither; the onyx was dull, as if it was roughly and crudely polished. They could not make jewelry, either, which is why they coveted them so. She also recognized this make. It was...

The Knight Master had another disturbing thought: all troops had been sent to here, expecting a massive goblin army as the reports told. However, there was a bit more than half of what it said. Ignoring that, there were _no _remaining troops in Serdin, either sent to this expedition or on leave. She jerked her head towards the soldier, struggling to keep her voice level. "Who did you send as reinforcements? Sieghart should have been able to handle it all."

"Ma'am, Sieghart told us that he was leaving today. I sent the three girls who were in your office."

Hearing this, the Knight Master's throat constricted and her stomach dropped. This was terrible. It all made sense as to how the goblins broke the wall - it was_ not _them. And the reason there were only goblins here... _they _had gone to the other wall.

She screamed a few final orders to the scurrying soldiers before moving with all possible haste to the western wall. No doubt those three girls had the ability to fight them, but how many and for how long? The Knight Master caught herself praying, praying that the girls and citizens of Serdin were unharmed, praying that her lapse in judgement would not yield terrible consequences. Hopefully, only collateral damage would have to be taken care of. Hopefully, no lives would be lost.

Hopefully.

* * *

_Oh, come on, _Arme scolded herself as she toasted another goblin with a fireball. _You've heard the name Sieghart before in Kanavan history. It was a big deal! What was it about him? I feel like I'd seen that name somewhere else recently, too..._

True enough to Sieghart's words, the rest of the goblins were located at the south end of the walls. What they were doing here, Arme had no clue, but the three had caught the goblins scouts by surprise, swiftly dispatching as many as possible before news of the attack could be brought to whoever was in charge. Eventually, that initiative was lost, and now they were simply plowing a path through the group.

Elesis had charged in, swinging her sword with reckless abandon. Arme had no doubt she was still raging at the mysterious black-haired man for insulting her so casually; based on how viciously she cut them down, she might actually be imagining them as Sieghart, trying to vent anger at the absent man. They lost sight of her as she went ahead without them, but the sounds of brutalized and dying goblins still confirmed her presence.

Arme slowly pointed the tip of her staff to the sky. Every nearby goblin found themselves floating several meters in the air, surprised and disoriented at the loss of gravity. She then slammed the ground with the tip of her small staff, causing her unfortunate victims to crash into the ground with bone-crushing force.

_That'll give us some breathing room, _Arme thought as she panted, looking around at the sliced, arrow-ridden, or singed goblin bodies that littered the area. There was still nothing found that could have destroyed the wall; it was simply one giant mystery how goblins managed to find the strength to do so, anyway. Grimacing as she healed the little cuts and bruises on her and Lire, Arme realized that this could get out of hand very quickly.

As Arme was busy healing a scrape on Lire's arm, caused by a stray branch on a wooden club, the archer asked, "Are you still thinking about that Sieghart?"

Arme nodded. "There's also this attack. No matter how you look at it, the goblins must have had help or they're helping someone."

"Yes, the lack of any other monsters is... disturbing. If I remember correctly, Sieghart was - watch out!"

Arme turned her head as she felt Lire tackle her to the side just as a mass of green crushed the place she was standing on with a club. The ground shattered in flakes of stone, partly obscuring the green-skinned humanoid that had suddenly appeared. It turned to look at them with glittering yellow eyes of dumb hate. Snarling and baring its tusks, the monster began walking to them. To Arme's side, Lire notched an arrow and fired it straight into its head. The monster staggered back two steps and let a guttural roar loose. Only then did it register the arrow wound, falling face first on the white rock.

It did not move.

Cautiously, Lire went over and turned it around. Crude shoulder plates and a loincloth were the only clothing it wore. A leather strap was wrapped around each of its muscular arms and legs. A necklace with animal teeth hung around its thick neck, teeth eerily similar to its own. Recognizing the monster from stories for naughty children and history, Arme felt a chill run down her neck.

Lire swore in Elvish. "Orcs," she dispassionately said. "This is bad... the rest of them will be looking for-"

Both of them fell silent as they heard another chilling howl, followed by a familiar voice shouting her own battle cry. The clash of metal upon metal rang in the air, accompanied by the squeaks of more goblins.

"Elesis!"


	6. Chapter 5: The Sieghart Legacy

_THIS IS INEXCUSABLE! -kills Legends- Hello, everyone! This is Legends v. 2.0. I'd just like to say that that lazy other me will not be writing for this story... ever. -insert evil laughter- Sadly, it seems it will go downhill from here. College will be starting in about three weeks, so I'll be able to post at least one more chapter before falling to the whims of school life. Either way, apologies for the very late update, courtesy of the... absent Legends. Enjoy~ ^_^_

_Disclaimer: I'm running out of witty ideas to say I don't own GC, SG Interactive, or KoG. Oh wait, that works too._

* * *

_Chapter 5: The Sieghart Legacy_

* * *

Lire and Arme made a mad dash through the orderly, yet confusing streets and alleys towards the sound of the fighting. Well, it was confusing to Lire. Had she been alone, she would have been forced to leap from building to building - hardly a stealthy tactic in broad daylight. Arme, however, knew this place like the back of her hand, and guided them swiftly and sneakily closer to the point of disturbance. Only once did she stop, and that was to avoid being discovered by goblins also running to the scene. _Just how far did she go without us? _Lire wondered after the sixth turn. _This is far too reckless, even for her._

Her concerns only increased once she heard the fighting abruptly end. The two quickened their pace while also taking note of the increasing number of bodies and limbs strewn on the streets. It looked almost identical to Sieghart's killing spree. _Does... does Elesis feel inferior to that man? Is she trying to prove she can do what he did? _ Lire shook her head. She admired Elesis's resolve and courage, but there was no need to prove that anymore than she already did; it would get her killed.

When the two were about to round a corner, Lire caught a glimpse of a flash of steel in the sun. On instinct, she activated her extreme reflexes. In the span of a second, the elf kicked a stunned Arme away from the descending blade, cartwheeled back to avoid the danger herself, and assumed a shooting stance while materializing an arrow, ready to fire at the ambusher.

It was Elesis.

Lire lowered her bow, adrenaline still making her tense and jumpy. She shakily exhaled, "By the gods, Elesis, don't scare us like that! If I didn't look first, I would have put an arrow between your eyes."

Elesis seemed no less tense. Leaning on her sword for support, she gasped out between pants, "Sorry... I'm a bit on edge right now." She nodded her head back towards what she meant.

Peering over her shoulder, Lire was astonished to find not only a mass of dead goblins, but four orcs as well. "You took them all... singlehandedly?!" Lire took a sweeping glance at the knight and saw she had the wounds to prove it. Most of them were simple scratches, cuts, and bruises that would do nothing more than irritate. Others were of slight concern such as a jagged, bleeding gash on her shoulder and thigh. The one that Lire found most concerning was the awkward angle at which Elesis's left arm limply swung at her side.

Arme, also noticing her wounds, reacted immediately. She recited an incantation and with a flick of her staff, a purple backpack appeared on the ground. Rummaging through it, Arme pulled out a first aid kit and tossed it to Lire. "Take care of her wounds; I'll fix her arm." Lire nodded and the two quickly got to work.

While she was bandaging the wound on Elesis's right shoulder, Lire watched in amazement as Arme performed her task. After a short spellcasting, the arm jerked itself back to normal in short bursts; every one caused the knight to wince in pain. The grotesque and somewhat creepy noises Elesis's bones made while being repaired forced Lire to shift her gaze, else she might vomit on the spot.

Once both had finished patching up their wounded comrade, Arme groaned loudly and whined, "I hate healing magic~ I'm terrible at its mana efficiency... takes all of my mana just to heal a broken limb. Grandpa could fix an army with the amount I just used!"

Elesis snatched her left arm away from the mage and tested it. While examining it, she testily asked, "Did you have to make it that painful?"

Arme had a surprised expression on her face. "That _was _the less painful version. If you wanted me to snap your arm back in one go, I'm pretty sure you would have screamed your head off."

"Couldn't you have used a spell to numb the pain?"

"But you wouldn't have learned to not hurt yourself then," Arme said sweetly. "Anyway, for being such a good patient, you get... this!" She pulled out a beaker and handed it over to Elesis before pulling out three smaller vials. The beaker and two of the vials were a vibrant red while the last one was a deep blue.

Elesis sniffed the contents and wrinkled her nose. "Is this what magicians eat - er, drink? No wonder why you guys are so slight... looks like poison."

Arme plopped down and handed a red vial to Lire. "Fool, it's a health potion! I was kind enough to give you the biggest one I brought too..." She winked. "Don't worry about the taste. I made the health potions strawberry-flavored."

"What's the blue one?"

"A mana potion. I alternate between blueberry and plum flavors." Elesis rolled her eyes. Without further ado, Arme popped the corks off both vials and downed them, a pleasant expression on her face.

Lire glanced at Elesis, who slowly sipped the drink before also downing it with gusto. Slowly but perceptibly, the knight's bruises and missed cuts faded away, as if they were never there at all. Confident the potion would do its job, Lire also partook.

It was strawberry-flavored, alright, and extremely sweet; Lire half-expected tangible happiness and rainbows to fly out of her mouth. The liquid left a blossoming hot sensation in her stomach as she felt all the tension and tiredness from recent events just disappear. She felt alert and full of energy, as if she just woke up from a good night's sleep. Handing back the empty vial to Arme, she remarked, "That really worked! And it tastes nice! Where did you get these?"

Arme glowed at the compliment. "I make them myself," she noted with pride.

"Incredible! You also have a talent with potion making?"

"Not really a talent... I was kind of forced to learn it." Arme glanced to the side with a sheepish and awkward face. "When it was my first shift in making potions, I ended up giving half the guild potion poisoning. After that, I was made to practice for hours every day. The few that still try my creations say I make some of the best, but the rest are still scared they'll explode with contact."

Lire heard Elesis snicker, and she herself stopped to wonder at the horrors that might have befallen the Violet Mage Guild, all by the hands of this girl. "A-anyway, I think we're done resting. Elesis, do you know if there are any others?"

"Well, the four orcs came from there." She pointed towards a road behind her that looked like any other.

Arme's eyes widened in shock. "That road leads to Serdin's town center!"

* * *

The Knight Master knelt and inspected the goblin corpses around the western wall. Judging by the burns and sword marks, there was no doubt these were the victims of Sieghart. _So... he is what he claims to be, _the Knight Master thought. She only wished he could have stayed for longer; this situation regarding the west side of the city would have been resolved with his skills. _Or he would have just slept through it... never would have imagined the Gladiator of Kanavan to be so lazy._

Returning back to the task at hand, she searched the bodies for anyone, specifically two humans and an elf. Thankfully, neither them or any other humans were among the deceased. _Sieghart must have helped them escape._ That was the good news - miraculously, there were no casualties.

The bad news is, if the girls weren't here, then where were they?

Her fingers danced on the hilt of her rapier as she thought furiously. This group was approximately half the size of the force she fought, which meant that the other half was with their leader for some reason. Since the north and east walls were occupied with soldiers, that only left the south. _Strange, _she thought. There was nothing there that could be used to take control of Serdin. In fact, there was only the town hall and a various assortment of shops, and the town hall was merely for resolving commoner issues. Whatever it was the assaulters are looking for, she had no idea. However, if it's something they want _that _badly...

The Knight Master strode over the battlefield, heading towards the southern walls. This was something she must investigate. She was still worried about the girls, yes, but they had enough skill to fend for themselves or at least flee. However, if they do anything brash...

_I swear that if they try something stupid, I will make them regret it from now to the afterlife and beyond!_

* * *

Arme was dismayed that the town center was in ruins, but they finally found the leader to this entire campaign.

When the three arrived at the area, they found goblins breaking into all the buildings and hauling whatever possessions they held toward a mountain of already pilfered goods. They were under the supervision of four orcs, making sure they did not run off with something sparkly or of value. Three of the orcs were like the ones they had encountered earlier. The fourth, however, was completely different.

The fourth orc was easily twice the others' size. The leader was far more muscular, and the orc had tattoos on his chest. Large yellow tusks jutted out of his mouth. It wore a plumed steel helmet with a single spike over his large head. Spiked shoulder plates were attached on each arm by leather straps around its chest. Where the straps met, an animal skull with a nose ring was attached. The orc wore a tooth necklace like the others, but it held more and larger teeth. He also wore iron bands around his wrists. The otherwise simple loincloth the orc was garbed in held a giant jewel in its center protected by sheets of metal; the leather also held a marking on it, presumably the orc clan symbol.

What caught Arme's attention was not the orc's size, but the enormous hammer it easily lugged over its shoulder. The hammer was almost as long as the orc was tall, about eight to ten feet. Simply constructed, it was also crudely decorated with red war paint. Arme understood how the walls fell so easily now - combined with an orc's brute strength, that hammer could have passed as one of the most powerful siege engines ever made, magic excluded.

The giant orc turned to gaze upon them with dull yellow eyes. It snarled, "Bah! A group of children caused all this uproar?!" The orc's guttural voice and accent made the statement almost unrecognizeable.

Arme flinched at the loudness of the orc's yell. She squeaked, "Is... is that a fully grown orc? I never knew they could speak!"

Elesis did not share her surprise. On the contrary, she seemed eager to fight. Pointing her sword at the large orc, she muttered, "Whatever," to Arme and announced to the waiting monsters, "Prepare to get your asses kicked! I'm not in a good mood and I got someone to chase, so I'm ending this quickly."

_Is she referring to Sieghart? Why is she so intent on chasing him?_ Arme noticed Lire turning to look at Elesis in disbelief. "Elesis! We could have asked them to leave peacefully first. And are you out of your mind, challenging them so suddenly?"

Arme patted Lire on the shoulder and shook her head. "Just let her go. When _she_ gets her ass kicked, maybe she'll finally learn to not randomly pick fights with everyone she meets."

Elesis glared at them. "Whose side are you on? Fine - if you want, I'll finish the job by myself."

"No," Lire firmly replied. "Teamwork, remember?"

With a roll of her eyes, Elesis muttered, "Fine. We'll take the big one on. Arme, you stay back. Take care of the small fry first."

"What!" Arme indignantly retorted. _Again, this hothead of a knight goes off and makes her own plans and expects me to follow them with no complaint._ "Why can't I help? I could probably end this in one spell!"

"And destroy Serdin? Please, as if we need magic to solve all our little problems. If you want to cause damage on scale of that of the Five Year War, feel free."

Snide remark aside, Arme realized she did have a point. She did not want to cause any more trouble for the people of Serdin than they already have. Besides, no one knew if anyone was still nearby who could get caught in the blast radius.

She pouted and grumpily said, "Alright. But once I'm done toasting goblins, I'm helping with the leader, got it?"

Elesis merely shrugged and directed her reply towards both Arme and the orc. "Don't worry, we'll beat him before you're done anyway."

The orc's face contorted into even greater fury. "You dare underestimate me?! SEARCHERS!"

Every goblin in a building stopped their work and gazed back in trembling fear. The orc warrior ordered, "Once you find 'it', tell the others to join in battle." He turned to the girls, eyes burning with hate. "I will feast on your bones tonight." In a thunderous battle roar, the leader, accompanied by the three orcs and a handful of goblins, charged the girls while the rest doubled their pace to find their aim.

Arme teleported back while Elesis charged the group with her own battle cry, sword ready, and Lire began dashing around, shooting arrow after arrow at the oncoming enemies.

Even as the battle continued after ten minutes, Arme's mind was still blissfully clear thanks to the mana potion she drank earlier. Every spell she cast was articulate and precise. She felt full of energy, even after casting a storm of fireballs at some searching goblins. Taking advantage of the potion's effects, she fell into a half-alert trance as she both attacked her enemies and resumed pondering about Sieghart. She knew she had heard it before, and she had seen the name recently. She thought about his looks, how he introduced himself, and the events after, during, and before their encounter. She scrounged through her memory for anything that would remotely help.

Her mind kept going back to the mass of dead goblins when they first met. _He truly is skilled, _Arme thought while petrifying three nearby goblins before teleporting away from a barrage of fist-sized rocks. There must have been at least a hundred dead goblins. _Wait... a hundred goblins..._ Arme's eyes widened as she remembered.

When she was very young, her grandfather told her a bedtime story about how a single man protected a village for an entire night from a hundred goblins. "Many praised his deed," he had read, "and even more wished to reward him, but he wouldn't have it. He rejected all titles and awards for himself, leaving the people to call him what they wanted. His very name became legendary, so famed that they began referring to him by his family name only. As a knight, his skill with the blade and feats in battle were unparalleled, but he eventually left the knighthood for reasons unknown, likely personal. He disappeared, and everyone mourned his death a year later. He was known as..."

_Sieghart!_ She realized her mistake now. If he was really the legend in the stories, Sieghart was the man's _last name,_ not first. Arme's mind automatically switched to the Sieghart family in Kanavan, perhaps the most famed for producing legendary swordsmen and women in history, and the time they spent in the Knight Master's office. She caught a glimpse of Elesis's profile, and while the details were too small for her to read at such a distance, she made out her full name. It had been of little importance then, but if she read it correctly, Elesis's last name was...

Arme snapped out of her stupor and yelled, "Sieghart!"

Lire's horrified shriek rang through the air. "Arme! Snap out of it!"

She turned around to see the giant orc swinging its hammer at her, grotesque snarl of victory on its face. In her moment of terror, she comprehended there would be no time to set up a shield.

There was no time to dodge, either.

She closed her eyes and felt something strike her on the side, throwing her to the ground. When no extreme pain followed, she opened her eyes.

Elesis had tackled her, knocking them both under the hammer's deadly swing. The orc warrior was busy trying to stop the momentum he put into the swing.

As they got up and retreated to a safer place, Elesis muttered, "Stupid, useless, little..." The rest of the curse was lost in the sudden wind.

Arme took a look around to see all the goblins and orcs were dead; their leader was the only one that remained. _Just how long was I standing there?_ She wanted to retort, but what transpired _was _her fault; she lost focus of the battle and she came so close to dying for it. Refusing to look at Elesis, Arme muttered, "Thanks... and sorry."

Before she could say more, she was tackled by Lire, who hugged her unbearably tight. "Air... choking... need to breathe..."

Lire loosened her hold and wiped a tear. She sniffed and yelled, "Don't do that ever again!"

"I won't. Did they find what they wanted?"

"Yes, they did. It was a book of some sort. I tried to shoot the holder, but there were too many in front of me."

Their conversation was interrupted by the orc warrior, who had regained control of his hammer. He growled in irritation, "Die, puny beings!" and charged them.

Elesis brought her sword ready and yelled so loudly, a shockwave erupted from her. Arme and Lire were amazed at the reddish aura that slowly became visible around her. The knight's sword lit ablaze with red-purple flames. "You want to kill my comrades?! Then you gotta go past me first!" She charged head-on toward the orc, bringing her sword down for a mighty strike.

The first downward slash brought a violet wave of fire upon the orc. In an attempt to block it, the orc warrior tried to block the real sword. The searing blade easily sliced through the handle of the hammer, leaving the orc with a stick in his left hand, a shortened hammer in the right, and a flicker of fear in his eyes.

The second upward slash created a searing wound on the orc's chest, a cauterized wound from shoulder to hip. The orc howled so loudly in pain, Arme was surprised her ears still worked afterwards. Lire actually gave a small yelp, her ears were so sensitive.

The last swing created another wound from opposite shoulder to opposite hip, leaving a burning X mark on the orc's front and Elesis behind him. Slowly, the orc fell on both knees. He looked towards the eastern horizon and rasped, "My Lord..." before succumbing to death and falling on to the paved ground.

Elesis collapsed on all fours soon afterward, panting heavily and slick with sweat.

Lire searched for injuries while Arme supported Elesis. The elf said, "Well, aside from exhaustion, you seem to be fine."

"I agree. Don't you think so too, Elesis _Sieghart?_"

Arme's grin only broadened when Elesis stared at her in surprise and stammered, "Wh-when did you...?" before sighing in resignation. "Yeah, my last name is Sieghart. I'm a descendant of the Sieghart family."

Lire seemed genuinely surprised. "Oh my... this group is full of surprises. You're a scion of the house of _the _Sieghart?"

Elesis nodded. "Yeah, and I'm also the leader of the Ruby Knights."

It was Arme's turn to be surprised along with Lire. The magician babbled, "You mean _the _Ruby Knights? Of Kanavan? You? Leader?!" before facing away from her with a _hmph_.

"To stand in the presence of another guild leader, such a famed one at that..." Lire stared in awe with a look that half-expected more surprises, like how Arme was actually a god or Kaze'aze was dead.

"Try not to spread it around, alright?"

Arme understood; this news might bring publicity that any guild would not want - namely, the absence of their leader. She asked Elesis, "Think you can walk?"

"I think you'll have to carry me the rest of the way... sorry."

"No problem, think of it as compensation for saving my life." Both of them turned to look at Lire, who now had a bright smile on her face. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and cheerfully replied, "It's nothing. I just noticed you guys talked to each other without insults. Didn't think you could manage that so soon."

"Neither did I," the Knight Master said testily.

The three sharply turned to face the direction of the sound. The Knight Master was standing at the door of the destroyed town hall, a demonic smile gracing her face. A twitching right eye, eyes equally full of worry and anger, and an aura of pure rage made her seem like the devil himself. "It seems you have much to explain. Pray your explanation placates me, or this will be the beginning of your end."

As they were led to the infirmary for treatment, the three girls silently agreed that they would rather fight ten thousand orcs than ever risk the Knight Master's wrath.


	7. Chapter 6: Breaking Ties

_Well, I promised at least one chapter before college, and here it is! -insert fanfare-_

_Now, before anyone attempts to kill me for taking almost 3 weeks to post this little thing up, let me explain! So... I found Fire Emblem: Awakening, and I fell in love with it. That in itself would be inexcusable, but I also took a part time job, and they ended up taking all of my time._

_Random viewer: But Legends, couldn't you have just-_

_NO :I_

_On another note to appease, I will be making a Halloween story that will test my abilities in horror writing (I feel like a derp for not knowing when Halloween is off the top of my head... 10/31 or somewhere close to that). Just thinking about the story plot gave me chills, so hopefully I can portray that chill to you all :D_

_Without further ado, enjoy this long-overdue chapter!_

_Disclaimer: In Soviet Russia, KoG and SG Interactive don't own me! Well, they don't so... am I in Soviet Russia?_

* * *

_Chapter 6: Breaking Ties_

* * *

"...consequences that not only would have cost your lives, but the safety of Serdin as well! And who in the gods gave you permission to leave my office?!"

Arme took an immediate interest in her purple shoes. She did not know how the others felt, but under the Knight Master's barrage of scolding and harsh words, her animal instinct told her to curl up in a corner and pretend like she stopped existing; from the corner of her eye, even Elesis seemed cowed.

The day after the attack, the three were summoned to the office to get a harsh reprimand. It was to be expected: they disobeyed orders from a superior, caused a hefty amount of collateral damage despite all their care towards the surrounding buildings, and took on the warband leader by themselves. However, no one was ready for the lecturing and verbal abuse that the Knight Master had ready to unleash upon them. By the time she was finished, a full hour had passed, which brought them to the present.

"Well?!" The Knight Master demanded. "Who gave you permission?"

A short silence answered her, the three girls too afraid to respond. Eventually, Arme gulped, mustered up what remained of her nerve, and shakily giggled, "Um... no one?"

The magician heard a sharp intake of breath. _So this is how it ends, _she thought. _Death by scolding... I suppose there are worse ways to die. _

Uncharacteristically, the Knight Master threw herself on her chair, sighed in exasperation, and leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling. To Arme, the Knight Master looked less of a soldier and more like a tired parent when frustrated. "That," she mumbled, "just destroyed all of my anger. If there was someone else to blame, I'd feel much more relieved. Instead, it was your own foolhardy decision. I suppose my worries were for nothing, though. You three _did_ manage to take down a fully grown orc warrior and a fair amount of grunts to boot, escaping with a broken arm as the most serious injury, based on your reports."

"So..." Arme nervously fidgeted, "We're not gonna die?"

The Knight Master looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Since when did I say I was going to execute you? I mean, it did cross my mind, but I believe I have something better in store." Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a wooden sword and walked up to them. Faster than even Lire could react, the Serdin knight slapped the three of them on the forehead with it, leaving a stinging vertical welt on each of them. "I'll leave you with this as a warning," she said before giving each of them a gold badge with Serdin's symbol engraved on it. "Welcome to the Grand Chase."

Rubbing the new bruise with one hand and holding the decorated seal in the other, Arme exclaimed, "Wait, what?"

"I had decided you three passed before circumstances delayed us. With this, you are now officially a member of this guild."

"Is this badge supposed to prove that?"

The Knight Master nodded. "And more. That badge is the Queen's Seal. So long as you have that, you are personally invested by the Queen of Serdin. All equipment and costs for missions will be paid for after reporting in." Her eyes narrowed. "I hope that sends a message to safeguard it well."

Leaving the subject unspoken, she strode toward a map of Bermesiah. "Your first mission will be here," pointing to the southern tip of the continent with the sword. "The village of Kerrie has been under attack by monsters for about a week. Reports of the damage vary, but consensus is that the village cannot sustain itself much longer if the nearby monsters are not stopped."

Lire raised her hand and asked, "What monsters are we expecting?"

The Knight Master smiled faintly. "Excellent question. Currently, the reports have said only the local wildlife - that is, slimes and crooked crabs. However, it is almost guaranteed that Kaze'aze has influenced this aggression; keep an eye out for other possible threats."

Elesis clenched her fists in excitement. "Great! Our first mission! We'll have this done in two days, tops!"

"No." The three girls looked at the Knight Master in confusion. "You will stay there for a week. We have no idea who is the leader of these attacks, and just because the fighting ceases for one day does not mean it has stopped for good."

"But-"

"This is an order, Elesis, not a request!" The Knight Master's stern and commanding tone got the young knight to hold her tongue. In a gentler voice, she said, "If, however, you do manage to slay the leader early, feel free to enjoy the rest of the week at Kerrie. You are dismissed."

Without a word of protest, the three quickly excused themselves from the office and walked out of the castle. Upon reaching the castle gates, Arme could not hold her excitement anymore. Jumping repeatedly, she squealed in joy. "Yes! Yes! A free trip to Kerrie! The Knight Master is the best!"

Lire and Elesis looked at her with a questioning gaze. "What's so good about Kerrie?" Elesis gruffly asked, still irritated for having been bested again by the Knight Master.

"Yes," Lire added. "I'm also unsure why you're so happy."

Arme gawked at the two in shock. "You mean you don't know about Kerrie Beach? It's supposed to be the most beautiful beach in Bermesiah. Oh, I've always wanted to go there! It'll be a blast! I'll have to find a good swimsuit and buy lotion and-"

Elesis cut Arme's list off, yelling, "Dammit Arme, we're not on vacation! We got a mission to finish in a week and we don't need you daydreaming again!"

Groaning in annoyance, she puffed her cheeks and said, "But we're supposed to stay there for a week, right? That means the sooner we get this mission done, the longer we have to swim~"

"For the last time, we don't have time to enjoy ourselves! We should spend the extra time training and preparing to fight more powerful foes."

Lire walked in between the two before they could send more death glares. She smiled weakly and said, "Let's focus on the present first before worrying about the future. Right now, we need to get there as soon as possible. Once we're done with the mission, we can decide how to use the time, alright? We're friends by now, aren't we?"

_Friends with her? Sure, when slimes become gods. _However, Arme did not want to further antagonize the two of them. Instead, she huffed, "Fine. I'll start packing my things," and began walking off.

Elesis growled, "Make it quick. No shopping," before also going to her residence to pack. Lire looked at the two shrinking figures before sighing, shaking her head, and running off to gather her belongings.

* * *

To Elesis's amusement and irritation, Arme was running on the beach barefoot, holding her shoes and socks in her hands while enjoying the feel of sand between her toes. The magician yelled at the top of her lungs, "Wow! This beach is beautiful, just like they say! The ocean's as blue as the sky, the sand is so fine and warm, and the air tastes wonderful!"

Elesis squinted under the midday sun and yelled, "Arme, get back here! We haven't talked to the villagers yet, and we're NOT on vacation!"

Arme paid no heed, instead choosing to admire the massive expanse of blue water in front of her in innocent awe. Spreading her arms as if she was attempting to embrace it, she said, "It's so big... like it reaches the end of the world..."

Lire called, "Arme, please focus. We need to report to Kerrie first."

"Alright..." Reluctantly, Arme turned her gaze away from the ocean and ran to join up with them. Elesis felt a massive surge of irritation and anger course through her. She scowled and commented, "Seems you'll listen to what Lire says, even if it's what I _just_ said. How many times do I have to tell you, we're not here to have fun."

Arme sharply retorted, "Don't give me that. I saw how your eyes lit up when we got here. You're just as excited as me!"

Flustered, the knight coughed and confessed, "T-that's because... that's because this is my first time seeing the ocean too." To save some pride, she added, "It's neat, but it doesn't seem as fun as you say."

Lire giggled into her hand and remarked with a sideways glance, "The swimsuit in your backpack says otherwise."

_When did she...?!_ "Wha-wha-what're you talking about? I have no such thing!"

"I saw it while you were reorganizing your stuff on the road. I must say, you have a nice and simple taste in fashion, but does all your clothing have to be red?"

Elesis felt her cheeks flare in heat. "Shut up! It's not a swimsuit. It's... it's attire for beach fighting. Have to come with the right equipment, after all."

Lire burst into tiny fits of giggles. She managed to say, "Oh, if the elves knew of this... that humans battle on the beach in an equivalent of smallclothes!" before erupting in an episode of laughter. "Do... do monsters laugh them... themselves to death or... do you kill them while... while they're incapacitated?!" She gasped before doubling over in laughter again, struggling to get air.

"Very funny." Blushing furiously and unwilling to take any more teasing, Elesis ran towards the village of Kerrie, leaving Lire and Arme on the beach, Arme helping the elf up off the ground. From Lire, she heard a faint "Just teasing!" as she slowed to a walk.

Reaching the entrance of the village, Elesis was shocked at the visible damage. The port was devoid of usable boats, the masts and prows of sunken ships appearing and disappearing in the tides. The buildings themselves looked no better: thick gashes were clearly visible on the remnants of log walls, dried and crusty goo was randomly splashed on them in an unsightly mosaic, and the straw roofs were filled with holes, tears, and scratch marks. Wary for enemies, Elesis took out her sword before slowly walking on, scanning the surroundings for potential enemies. As she continued, Elesis noticed that the damage became less and less serious and visible until she reached a semicircle of large houses, each fortified by rows of barricades, patrolling people (who Elesis assumed were the town watch), and clusters of makeshift spears protruding from the roofs. She waved her hand to catch the men's attention and waited until they ran to greet her.

One of the guards, a slight man with a brown mustache, nodded politely and asked, "Hello, child, how can we help you? Do you need help finding your parents?"

Letting her irritation show with a half-grimace, half-smile, Elesis replied, "I am capable of taking care of myself, thank you. I am part of the Grand Chase and one of the members sent to help you with your situation."

"Where are the others?"

"They're... busy at the moment." Elesis looked back to see if they had caught up. She could see their running figures by the entrance, waving to announce their arrival. She turned back towards the men and asked, "What's the situation?"

The man with the mustache looked at the approaching girls in disbelief. Ignoring Elesis, he huffed haughtily, "Well, I see we're deemed important enough to have a few girls sent instead of an actual helping force."

Feeling her rage begin to surface, Elesis quickly took out the Queen's Seal that she was given and shoved it in the man's face. She growled, "Trust me, it was not easy getting this piece of junk from the Knight Master." While the men admired the seal and confirmed its authenticity, she continued, "I'd also watch my tongue. If you doubt our skill so much, I'm sure we'd be _more than happy _to display it to you."

They caught the subtle threat and nodded to confirm it. Smiling in victory, Elesis repeated her question.

"The large wildlife... they turned on us. At first it was just the beaches and the nearby forest, where they attacked our equipment and anyone unfortunate enough to be by them. Soon, they started attacking the village in random intervals. And then..." The other man, shorter and with no facial hair, shuddered.

Elesis asked, "Well?" When they did not respond, she put her hands on her waist and pressed on. "We need to know all we can about our enemies so we can handle them efficiently. Now let me ask you again - and then what?"

"T-t-the... harpies. They- "

The mustached man did not continue his next sentence, for at that moment, a blur descended from the skies and carried the man in its talons. Elesis looked up in surprise to see a giant red and white bird carry the screaming and struggling guard into the air.

An arrow from behind her whistled past her ear, soaring toward the escaping monster. It struck, letting loose a sharp shriek from the bird and causing it to drop the man on a building. Elesis spun around to find Lire a few meters behind her, bow in hand and a grim expression on her face. "It seems like another attack."

"How did you- never mind, elven hearing." The knight turned towards Arme, who was looking at the stranded villager with concern. "Think you can get him off?"

With a nod, Arme teleported behind the man and grabbed him by the back of his collar. Moments before another harpy could harass them with her beating wings and sharp talons, they teleported back to where Elesis and Lire were standing. "Yeah," Arme commented, "those spears on the roof do nothing but _look_ dangerous."

The sounds of screams and yells from the other side of the village - opposite of where they came in - interrupted any further conversation. The three sprinted to the source. Upon arrival, they saw the scenes of the battle.

Blue slimes with red leaves on their heads grouped up on overextended soldiers, overwhelming them with sheer numbers and their combined weight. The sandy ground erupted from time to time as crabs the size of children emerged from the surface to ambush men above them. All the while, harpies would swoop down occasionally to pick off someone unaware or to drag them away to some unknown fate. Kerrie's guards put a valiant effort against them, but they were slowly being driven back. Elesis charged in, the other two reacting a bit slower than her.

Elesis plunged her sword into a nearby crab dueling a soldier. The crab gurgled and flailed its claws around before laying still. With a quick scan on the woman's condition, Elesis went back to the battle, her blade's reach a monster's invitation to death. She cleared a group of slimes smothering another soldier, blue goo spraying all over the ground, herself, and the soldier beneath it all. She was thankful that the slimes were just like the ones she fought before; it made exterminating them less taxing.

The crabs were more troublesome; her sword could not cut through their thick chitin armor. Elesis had to rely on stabs and thrusts to slay them, and their sideways movement left her aiming with a bit more to be desired. She also had to get close to them, where their oversized claws could harass and block with near-impunity. _Great, _she thought while descended from the air, stabbing another crab on its top. _Fighting these things is like fighting midgets in heavy armor._ Leaping once more to escape another crab's swing, she prepared to dispatch the creature like the others before it.

She did not get the chance to. Two harpies descended and smashed into her midair, sending the knight rolling across the sand. Flipping back onto her feet, Elesis was put on the defensive as the two harpies worked in tandem to attack their target. She was astonished at the teamwork they displayed; while one would blind her with wind and feathers and distract her with talons, the other would circle around, lunging at her when the other harpy was vulnerable. _They're definitely under the control of something. No monsters could work together so well._

Infuriated by this harassment, Elesis sidestepped a descending claw before slicing the harpy's leg off, making it drop to the ground and shriek in pain. she walked up to the writhing monster and swiftly decapitated it, blood spraying in the direction of her strike and seeping into the now rust red-blue sand. Two claws gripped onto her shoulders, and Elesis saw the village shrink below her. She struggled, but that only made the harpy holding her tighten its claws, the points sinking into her flesh and drawing blood. Elesis realized what it wanted to do, and there was no way for her to stop it.

Once they were about a good hundred feet, the harpy dropped her. Elesis could only watch helplessly as she accelerated toward the ground. She shut her eyes, waiting.

Elesis felt her descent abruptly move to the side as Lire leaped to catch her, miraculously landing on her feet. She looked at the elf to see her eyes burning gold, the color they turn to when she accessed her elven abilities. Out of breath, Elesis managed to gasp out, "Thanks."

Lire nodded seriously. In a matter-of-fact tone, she replied, "I'll take care of the harpies. Help Arme with the ground forces." Elesis could not really argue with that unnatural gold gaze boring into her, so she simply nodded and returned to the fight. She noted there were a few blackened craters and ice sculptures among the carnage, likely Arme's doing.

* * *

By the time the monsters retreated, it was late afternoon. There was still no rest for Arme, though; with how long the fighting turned out to be, no one was unscathed from the fight. That meant that the magician was on overtime (and mana deficiency), healing the soldiers that were putting their lives on the line to protect their home.

Three of them did not make it.

It was a stranger's death, and Arme could feel no close attachment to any of them, but when she saw how their loved ones wept and grieved, she could not help but shed tears in shared sorrow and sympathy. The afternoon was a long and quiet one, with everyone too exhausted or numb to carry a conversation and for the quick funerals for the deceased.

Afterwards, the three Chase members, having won the villagers' respects for their deeds, met with the town leader, an old woman who looked ready to join the three in eternal rest, to discuss the outcome and any plans for their dilemma.

The elder puffed on her pipe silently for a few silent minutes before saying in a creaking voice, "I pray we will put these men's sacrifices to good use. Is there any information you have gained about their leader's whereabouts?"

Lire stood up before answering, "The monsters fled north, in the direction of the forest. It's the best place to start searching."

"I see. I only pray that you will successfully avenge the deaths of those protecting all they know."

Another silence followed before Elesis bolted up out of her seat. "I'm going," was all she said before walking to the door.

Arme stepped in front of her. "Are you crazy?" she yelled. "Look at us! We're currently in no shape to fight more of them."

Elesis briefly looked at the cuts, scrapes, and bruises on both her and Arme before shoving her aside. "We're well enough."

Arme, irritated from Elesis's attitude and exhaustion, ran to catch up. She firmly put a hand on Elesis's shoulder and sternly said, "Lire and I are exhausted; me from using so much blasted magic to fight and heal, and her from using her abilities. You're only going to get yourself killed if you go by yourself."

The knight whirled around and snapped, "So we're just supposed to stay here and do nothing?!" Surprised, Arme could only take a step back. Elesis took a step forward and continued, yelling, "Yeah, I get we're exhausted! But are you really going to just let those lives be wasted for nothing?"

Feeling her anger bubble up, Arme spat, "We'll be wasting them if we're stupid enough to charge in now of all times, when we're weakened and incapable of fighting for long."

Elesis bitterly laughed, "Oh, of course, we're just a few girls who are incapable of taking care of ourselves. Didn't think you were such a _coward,_" emphasizing the word in spite and pushing Arme again. "What'd I expect from people who rely on magic?"

The insult sent Arme over the edge. Her vision pulsing in now unrestrained anger, she fired a blast of pure mana at Elesis on her next shoving attempt, sending the knight sliding several feet, the wind knocked out of her lungs. "This _coward_ still has more than enough energy - and want - to kick the crap out of a dumbass," Arme growled.

Picking herself up off the sand, Elesis glared at her with hatred. She infused mana into her sword, causing red ethereal flames to flicker on its blade. "Seems you wanna play for real," she snarled, now glowing red-violet from her aura of rage. "Don't blame me if you get hurt."

Arme stomped the ground, calling forth magic seals around her person. The elements roared in a cacophony of sound around her, howling wind, wisps of flame, shards of ice, and sizzling sparks bursting from the circles, begging to be released. "Don't. Diss. My craft," Arme seethed. "Or I'll incinerate you."

"Stop this..."

That quiet plead broke the atmosphere more than Arme expected. Seeing Elesis's surprised expression, she looked behind her. Lire was standing a dozen feet away, covering her mouth with a hand, cheeks shimmering with wetness. All of Arme's previous anger left her, replaced by shame and horror at what she was about to do. Looking back at Elesis, she seemed similarly affected.

"I thought we could put our differences aside... I thought I wouldn't have to stop anymore fighting after the Outer Wall," Lire softly sobbed. "Then I leave you two alone for a couple minutes, and you're literally trying to kill each other." The elf took a step back, and then another, and then another. "The elders were right. _Kaze'aze _was right. How can humans stop a world threat if they're so busy fighting each other?"

Before Arme could protest, Lire turned away from them. She quietly stated, "Once this mission is over... I'm leaving the Chase. I want nothing to do with this anymore," before bolting away from the two, glimmering gold eyes streaking the air with tears.

Nothing made a sound save the ocean waves, forever throwing themselves upon the shore in vain.


	8. Chapter 7: Otherworldly Forces

_I'm alive... I'm alright! __Yay~_

_So yeah, sorry about the super long absence. I need to get used to my college schedule and find time to write. Maybe I could cut some time out of my games... -finds Tales of Vesperia-_

_-60 hours later-_

_Um... yeah. I should do that. (Lately it's been one good game after another.) Without further ado (or excuses :P) please enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: SG Interactive and KoG do not belong to me because I would never disappoint all those Advancer waiters (TAKE A HINT :D)_

* * *

_Chapter 7: Otherworldly Forces_

* * *

Lire stared into the moonlit ocean, sadness still gripping her heart as she played her recently made leaf whistle.

She was sitting on a small rock formation a fair distance away from Kerrie, close enough to see anyone who left the village, far enough to run or hide should anyone come to look for her. The elf shivered slightly as the tides occasionally splashed sea-foam upon her form, but she could care less about that right now. All Lire wanted was for this mission to be over so she could return to the peace of her home. _I'm sick of all this fighting, both against these monsters and among us. Don't they understand? Our petty issues are insignificant compared to stopping Kaze'aze. _Lire dwelled on such thoughts as the moonlight shone down upon her, illuminating her figure in incandescence.

Giving up, she continued playing her instrument, picking an elven song about homesickness as her melody.

When she finished her melancholic piece, Lire heard clapping and a woman's voice. "Beautiful," she complimented. "Very few people could play a song on such an unorthodox instrument."

Lire looked around in surprise, searching for the figure. _How did she manage to sneak up on me? I didn't sense her presence at all._

The woman was several feet to the left of her, ankle-deep in the ocean water. She wore a two piece silk garment that was, in Lire's opinion, a bit too revealing of her perfect body. Miraculously, her clothes seemed to stay dry even when the waves splashed upon her. Using the moonlight, Lire saw that the woman had hair and eyes that seemed to shift between the colors of the ocean. She kept her hair down, a headband with a seashell ornament the only decoration on her head. The woman also wore a pearl necklace and seashell bracelets and anklets on her bare hands and feet.

Lire asked, "Where did you come from?"

The woman chuckled, "I live near the village of Kerrie. Apologies for startling you; I tend to do that by accident."

"It's alright."

"I was impressed. You played such a lovely song on nothing but a simple tree leaf."

Lire offered a small smile and replied, "Thank you. Even elves have difficulty playing the leaf whistle."

"Forgive me for asking, but why not play something happier? There's too much sadness in this world as it is."

Lire turned away and looked back at the ocean. "If only I felt happy right now..." she whispered. She felt tears returning.

Surprisingly, the woman seemed to have heard from such a distance. She walked up and placed a hand on Lire's shoulder. When Lire turned back to look, she found two sea-green eyes staring at her in sympathy and kindness. Lire wondered if this was how Arme felt when she did the same. The woman asked, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Albeit reluctantly, Lire explained her current dilemma to the woman.

When she finished, Lire waited for a response. Instead, she ended up waiting for a fair amount of time before the woman asked, "You're sensitive to death, aren't you?"

Not expecting this question, Lire stammered, "I-I-I said nothing of th-the sort! I was just sad that they always have to fight. They were about to kill each other the last time!"

The woman smiled sadly and started playing with her necklace. "To be unaffected by the deaths of those around you is akin to being inhuman; no doubt they were also affected by the aftermath as well. However, once you are, emotions take over. While you were correct to stop them, you running away is very human, very emotional of you. My question now is this - did you mean it when you said you would quit? Or was it merely your heart speaking before your mind?"

"Of course I -"

The woman glanced at her with a serious expression. "Wait. Take a deep breath. Think this through, calmly and rationally."

Lire did as she was told. She inhaled deeply and held it for a few seconds. Upon releasing her held breath, she was surprised at how much calmer her thoughts were, no longer plagued by uncertainty, sadness, and to her surprise, guilt. Guilt that she was running away from her task, her mission, her unspoken dream.

"Now answer me," the woman said. "Did you mean it?"

"...No."

With that answer, the woman broadly smiled. "Good." She began walking toward the ocean, as if preparing to take a swim. "The trick is not to stop all fighting - that would require the loss of humanity and the resources of the world. The trick is to find peace within oneself, in the brief lulls of eternal conflict." The woman stopped when she was knee-deep. Turning around, she continued, "Human or elf, they will always fight; that is a part of nature no one can change. It is best, however, that those fights be the small and petty ones that you were lamenting about, not a threat to the world. The song you were playing... what's the title again?"

"It's called 'The Same Sky.'" Lire sang the first few lyrics in Elvish before continuing. "It means

_The sun and moon shine endlessly bright, illuminating tomorrow. _

_Even if tears flow, even if I suffer, the sky is the same. _

_No matter what world, deep in my heart, I think of my home."_

The woman nodded. "Just as the song says, the sky is the same, here or in Eryuell Island. Should you ever desire peace, should you ever feel homesickness or conflict, look up at the sky and imagine your home. That's all I can offer."

"Before you go," Lire insisted, "could I get your name?"

"My friends and family call me Inna."

"Thank you, Inna. You've helped me so much."

Inna waved her hand. "Think nothing of it."

"Lire!"

Lire spun towards the direction of Kerrie. Arme and Elesis were running towards her, worried looks on their faces.

Lire stayed put until they reached her.

Panting and clutching her knees, Arme gasped, "Don't... don't leave us, Lire. We... need you."

Elesis nodded, but she was not nearly as winded as the magician. "Someone has to stay and be the reason of this team, and I can't think of anyone better than you." Arme nodded in agreement.

Lire was bewildered. _These people were the same ones fighting each other earlier? _"You two made up already?"

Elesis nodded. "We agreed that the battle made us... stubborn. We also agreed that we shouldn't fight, not if it bothers one of our teammates so much."

Arme piped, "More like you were being the stubborn one. I agree though; it was my fault for provoking Elesis and upsetting you, Lire."

Lire felt a wave of tears, but quickly pushed them back. With a gracious smile, she said, "I also have to apologize. I should not have reacted the way I did; it was selfish and childish of me." She offered a hand. "Let us be allies and comrades... and friends."

Arme slapped her hand on top of Lire's. "To friendship!" Both of them looked at Elesis.

The knight scratched her head before slowing putting a hand in as well. "This is so cheesy," she muttered, but then announced, "To our friendship."

The three girls were silent for a while before giggling and embracing each other, absolving their issues and confirming their camaraderie once and for all.

Elesis was the first to break the embrace. She asked Lire, "What were you doing here, anyway, that changed your mind?"

Blushing furiously upon realizing there was a witness, Lire exclaimed, "Oh gods, I totally forgot! Guys, meet Inna. She-"

Turning around, the elf was surprised to find Inna had completely disappeared. It was as if she had vanished without a trace; even her footsteps on the wet sand were completely washed away. "But..."

Elesis looked around. "Meet who?"

Lire asked the two of them, "Did you guys see someone on the beach with me?"

Both of them shook their heads. Lire looked back once more before giving up. She said, "Well, we might as well head back. Tomorrow will be a big day."

Agreeing, the three girls slowly walked back to Kerrie and the prospect of a warm, comfy bed. As Lire pondered Inna's disappearance, the fact that Inna never left the water passed through her mind. _Maybe she swam away while I wasn't looking, _she thought before falling into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Lire woke up feeling refreshed, her first good sleep in days. After a quick bath, getting dressed, and grabbing her equipment, she ran out in search of Arme and Elesis, both of them having woken up earlier than her.

As she looked around, Lire noticed the villagers repairing any fortifications that were damaged or destroyed in the last attack. While fear, uncertainty, and the sadness of yesterday's deaths still hung in the air, the elf noticed the fire of determination in the workers' eyes, the wariness of the guards, and the overall confidence emanating from them. _So this is the desire to protect one's home, _she thought. _It is truly similar to the elves._ She offered a moment of silence and an Elvish blessing to the deceased before resuming her search.

Lire silently complimented herself for having performed all her armor and weapon checks yesterday. Even though she had little gear compared to the others, and she did not even need to check arrow fletching on account of her materialization magic, she could not bring herself to waste more time than was necessary. The sooner they eliminated the leader, the sooner these villagers would be at peace; they would also be one step closer to thwarting Kaze'aze's plans, no matter how small the step was.

Double-checking her work, she plucked her bowstring a few times to ensure its tautness and materialized an arrow to see if there were any flaws in her mental visualization. Details of an object slowly fade from memory, even seemingly obvious ones, and it was best to refresh it by intently observing the real object to guarantee a crucial detail will never be forgotten, such as the shape of an arrowhead. Examining the magic arrow, Lire was displeased to note that the quality of the fletching was starting to deteriorate. New task at hand, she headed toward the town's tiny armory.

Upon arriving, Lire noted that Elesis was already there, polishing her armor of rust and dried gore and sharpening her sword. Picking up an arrow and staring at the feathers intently, the archer began talking to Elesis. "Ready?"

Elesis paused and looked up from her whetstone. "More or less. Arme's scouting out where the most monsters are."

"Arme's scouting? But how does she-"

"Magic."

"Oh." After a short silence, they continued their work.

A little later, Arme popped up, exclaiming excitedly, "I found the monster lair!"

Examining the finishing touches of her sharpening, Elesis asked, "Where is it?"

"It's to the north, where the monsters fled yesterday. A group of crabs, slimes, and harpies are guarding a particular area of the forest."

Lire smiled and said, "Excellent work." She walked over to Arme. Putting a hand on the magician's shoulder, Lire continued, "Elesis and I have finished our preparations. We'll give you some time before we go, alright?"

Arme nodded and went to grab her things from the armory. Lire's smile became broader when Arme and Elesis began to make friendly conversation with each other. _I suppose Inna was right, _she thought. _The brief moments of peace are truly worth remembering._

* * *

Blast it all, how much longer was she supposed to stay in this realm of weaklings? Just looking at this world infuriated her; how could a realm be so weak that it would limit the magic she could use at her disposal?

The woman assumed a sitting pose while floating in the air, grumbling as her butler looked around for any signs of their target. She was dressed in a royal outfit that would make many noblewomen green with envy, a daring mix of gold metal and black and burgundy cloth. Of course, few could wear the revealing clothing and still manage to be presentable or still keep their dignity, but for her, it fit her just fine, emphasizing all the... appealing parts of her body. Her physical features would have automatically caused many humans to assume she was a succubus; with her perfect physique, purplish skin, horns, wings, tail, and fanged smile, she would not blame them, the ignorant weaklings.

_Speaking of weaklings..._ she began twirling her pink hair in between her fingers and looked at the bloody mountains of crabs and harpies scattered all around. Two of her familiars, a gargoyle and a small dog, were tearing at the bodies, devouring them with gusto. Her third familiar was looking around with a ghostly lantern, looking for any more victims to taunt and torture. Thank the gods she could still summon; when she realized this world only allowed her to use the most basic of her magic, she went into a fury. Only her mission stopped her from flattening the closest village.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she snapped at her butler in impatience. "Jeeves! Is he really still here in this miserable human world?"

Jeeves stopped his searching to turn around and bow. "Apologies, my Lady, for making you wait. According to what they said, he should still be here. However, I cannot sense him, only faint traces of what he's done so long ago."

The young woman scoffed in disgust. "Father would not have sent me here just to die in such a wretched place." With a snap of her fingers, she dispelled her familiars. "We're moving on, Jeeves! Take me to the closest disturbance. Maybe I'll be able to unseal my powers as well."

The bulky butler calmly bowed once more. "As you wish, my Lady."

The woman raised her left hand, armed with a decorated clawed glove with a crimson gem. Glowing in an eerie light, even during the morning, the glove tore space apart a couple of meters away from the two figures, a black, pulsing void rimmed with a violet seal. They stepped into it casually, as if it were nothing more than an everyday occurrence. Once they disappeared into the inky darkness, the portal slowly shrunk into a pinhole before vanishing completely, destruction and carnage the only things left in its wake.

* * *

Lire noticed Arme twitch and look around in surprise and barely restrained fear. "Is something wrong, Arme?" she asked while notching another arrow. "You're fidgeting more than a squirrel."

"I-it's nothing," the magician barely managed to stammer. "I must be really on edge; I could have sworn someone just used demonic magic."

Elesis smirked, "You really must be out of it - now, of all times? Demons haven't attacked us for centuries." With a grunt, she pulled out her sword from the breast of a slain harpy, causing blood to spurt out of the wound. "There seems to be a lot less of them, though. Thank your demon friend or whoever for thinning out their ranks."

It was true, Lire realized. There was probably less than half of the monsters they expected to oppose them. Of those, their movements were sluggish and hesitant, as if they feared them; exterminating them was a mere chore now. _Perhaps Sieghart passed through here? No, that wouldn't make sense. He said he had business elsewhere and left in a direction away from Kerrie. Besides, even _he_ couldn't instill this kind of fear into monsters._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden harpy attack, in which she unleashed two salvos of arrows in retaliation. The materialized arrows flew far better now that she had reinforced her mental image. Lire reminded herself to make it a habit as she watched eight harpies fall from the sky, each killed by an arrow. For the most part, she was in charge of killing the harpies; Arme's spells were too slow to attack such fast creatures, and Elesis's sword was practically useless on enemies so high in the sky. They would get the occasional harpy that dived in to attack or with a lucky strike, but they mostly dealt with the crabs and slimes assaulting them on the ground.

The strategy worked well since they only had to focus on one area, but it also brought upon a sense of camaraderie that Lire had never felt with them. It felt like she could trust them to do their tasks, and they had the same faith in her. Together, they pressed the assault on the monster camp, working with each other to boost their strengths and cover for each other's weaknesses. Lire knew their teamwork was only starting to develop, and there were more than enough rough spots to fix, but it was an impressive start compared to the beginning.

Her resolve wavered slightly when a piercing shriek rang throughout the forest, causing all the monsters to retreat.

With beautiful wings that beat the winds into a tumultuous storm and a terrifying image of a fusion of bird and woman, the Harpy Queen descended from the skies and landed on a cluster of trees. The trunks groaned under the large monster's weight, but it held. Upon closer inspection, Lire noticed that the top of the trees were woven into some sort of large nest. _So this is the leader's roost, _the elf thought while quickly firing an arrow aimed between the harpy's eyes.

The Harpy Queen batted the projectile away with a flick of her wing. Glaring at the girls with beady eyes, she squawked, "How dare you disturb my beach!"

Arme retorted, "How dare you keep me from enjoying a nice swim! And it's not your beach, you ugly hag!"

Another deafening screech came from the Harpy Queen. "I am NOT UGLY! Do you see how sleek and well-groomed my feathers are? Do you notice the healthy shine in my plumage? You... you will be the first I eat!" The harpy took to the skies, baring her razor-sharp teeth. With a heavy downbeat of her wings, she sent a storm of feathers streaking towards them. "Die in the beauty of my feathers!"

The Chasers scrambled for the nearest cover, sidestepping, jumping, ducking, and otherwise attempting to dodge the barrage. Lire dove for shelter behind a large rock, watching the feathers whiz past from all around her and impaling themselves on the ground, the trunks, or any slow or unfortunate monsters. Frantically, she looked around for Elesis and Arme. To her relief, they managed to find a safe spot among another nearby group of trees. When the onslaught let up a bit, she readied her senses and prepared to sprint to them.

Her right foot would not respond.

In alarm, Lire looked back to examine her leg. It looked perfectly fine... except for two thin grooves, one in the middle of her Achilles' tendon, the other by her hamstring. She gingerly poked the cuts, and lances of pain erupted from the areas. Wincing and looking around, she noticed two feathers with blood tinting their edges impaled at the base of a tree. _Those feathers are sharp - so sharp I didn't even feel it go through me! _As she thought this, an immense shadow swallowed the area around her.

Looking behind her, the Harpy Queen was now perched on top of the rock where she hid. The monster stared down at the archer. "Ah, an elf," the harpy grinned in surprise and anticipation. Truthfully, it was less of a grin and more of her baring her pointed teeth and drooling slightly. "Consider it an honor - you will be the first elf I ever dine on!"

Lire began crawling away from the giant monster as fast as she could, desperately trying to keep herself away from the descending talons. _I'm not going to make it, _Lire realized; her elven abilities were of no use if her body was debilitated.

She looked back at Arme and Elesis, who were attempting to run to her, then squeezed her eyes shut. She began to pray, not for her own safety, but for theirs. _May their journey be successful... even if I die here, even if it hurts, I hope that you two will work together to defeat Kaze'aze in my stead._

Something then gripped her shoulder and began dragging her away.


End file.
